Culture & Community | Fair Haven | Arts & Culture | Hispanic Heritage Month | Fair Haven School
Abiba Biao Photos.
Over a dozen flags lined the stage, telling the story of a diaspora in real time. In one set of tiny hands, the flag of Guatemala seemed to dance to footfalls and percussion, rippling in waves of blue and white. Beside it, a student repped Venezuela, a smile spreading across his face. Nearby, Mexico and Colombia entered the fray. As they did, drums filled the room, followed by the tap-tap-tapping of small feet and accompanying rhythm of applause.
That was the scene—and the joyful sound—at Fair Haven School on a recent Friday, as students from Pre-K to eighth grade took to the stage for their 17th annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. For over an hour, students captured the joy, excitement and diversity of Hispanic Heritage Month, which in New Haven has become part of the city’s cultural, social and educational fabric.
As it is every year, the presentation was a collaboration with ARTE, Inc., which has long been a neighborhood and citywide champion of Hispanic and Latino arts and culture.
The celebration began 17 years ago under Jaime Ramos, then principal at Fair Haven School (Ramos’ wife, Rocio, still works at the school). When Ramos moved on to lead Hill Central School, volunteers from ARTE, Inc. and a dedicated band of teachers made sure that it continued. Each year, it is very much a group effort, with educators from across disciplines who pitch in.
NHPS Superintendent Dr. Madeline Negrón.
This year, lead organizer Michael Soares said it would not have been possible without the support of fellow teachers and community groups like ARTE, who began planning the event as soon as school was back in session and met weekly to keep the assembly on track. Soares, who teaches ESL for grades four through six, added that it felt particularly exciting to welcome Dr. Madeline Negrón, who began her tenure as superintendent of the New Haven Public Schools earlier this year.
Appointed to her role as superintendent in July, Negrón, who has roots in Puerto Rico, is the first Latina superintendent in the district. Friday, she addressed the all-ages crowd in both English and Spanish.
“I heard that Fair Haven does the best Hispanic heritage celebration so I cleared my calendar cause I wanted to be here this morning,” she said with a smile.
The celebrations extended well beyond the auditorium. In the school’s atrium, a multimedia mural greeted guests and families in bright color. Across it, teacher Kathleen Carter and her second graders had drawn portraits of family members, birds, Indigenous sun-shapes, and plants native to Latin America.
As it stretched across the hallway, it added brilliant color and vibrancy to the space before ever stepping into the auditorium.
Carter said the work had taken her and her students two weeks to complete, with input from an after-school art club that eagerly took on the project. While she was initially unsure of whether she was up for the challenge, her students' encouragement and support carried her through, she said. Looking at the intricate design and detailed effort, it was impossible to tell that it was her first mural.
“I love visual supports,” she said, adding that she drew inspiration from Google images, and then let her own creativity take the wheel. As she spoke, she motioned towards a plant that morphed into a giraffe’s neck and a volcano that birthed a turtle and a frog. "I teach English language learners and I just feel they’re so important in supporting their education.”
Jobie Flores, Nathalia Marcano, Analyz Torres, Riziki Mulungula,and Bernise Perez.
Elsewhere, a handful of eighth graders fêted their final Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at the school, during which they had wowed the crowd with bachata moves.
After the assembly, Soares reflected on the day as “life changing” for students. In a school district that is majority Latino and a city that is plurality Latino, it gives them a chance to show off and be proud of their culture, he said.
Over the years, the celebration has brought in not just educators and collaborators, but also family, friends and neighbors who are proud to see Fair Haven’s youth shine.
“I think it’s important because many of our kids may not have the opportunity to perform and be brave in front of a live audience,” he said.
“I see young adults reminiscing about the show, and how scared they were, and how ti was a success and [how they] pulled it off,” he added.