International Fair

The world is ever-changing. With 196 countries on earth, cultures and people-groups are evolving, migrating, melding, and communicating. Even in America, our community and our schools are becoming more diverse, filled with families of many nationalities and ethnic backgrounds. Educators and school leadership are intentionally embracing the many differences that children in today’s classroom represent.

The unique differences and customs of students should be celebrated and taught to all generations. God sees all of his children as uniquely His and loves them all as written in Galatians 2:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus.”

Celebrating God's Diverse Body

Mount Paran Christian School chooses to celebrate the amazing blessing of God’s diversity in different ways every day. Our largest school-wide cultural event is the International Fair. Members of our school community join together to showcase the many customs and cultures created by God and represented throughout our school family. The fair gives students and their families a chance to honor their heritage and to show off the many customs and cultural practices that are a part of who they are. The event supports the CommUNITY initiative of diversity and inclusion education at all grade-levels.

Our evening of celebration was kicked off by an Italian operatic student performance. We were then welcomed to the International Fair by a traditional Cameroonian dance. Our third through fifth-grade students entertained the crowd with two songs in Spanish and were followed by a traditional African drumming set. Next, high school students performed a beautiful French song and ballet dance duet. This was followed by a popular jazz song from a native Korean student. The performance portion of the evening culminated with a rendition of Amazing Grace on the Scottish bagpipes.

Families Sharing Culture with Families

At this year’s fair, 20 families represented countries from Uganda to New Zealand and Albania to Peru. Food, music, dancing, and drumming were showcased at each country’s booth. Students were given passports to stamp as they visited each country and experienced the food and culture from that region. Teachers, children, and parents alike enjoyed discovering new foods, trying on authentic clothing, and learning about customs from around the world.

The International Fair provides an opportunity to rejoice in the exciting differences in God’s creation of humanity and to celebrate the blessings of the diversity of our school and of the world around us. We remember the words in Revelation 7:9-10: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”

Thank You, Countries!

We were blessed by the MPCS families who participated in the International Fair. Thank you for sharing and representing the following countries and groups:

• Albania
• Argentina
• Bahamas
• Brazil
• Cameroon
• Cape Verde
• Colombia
• Cuba
• Dominican Republic
• Ethiopia
• France
• Germany
• Ghana
• Great Britain
• Greece
• Lebanon
• New Zealand
• Peru
• Russia
• Uganda
• Study Abroad program

Claire Mozley serves as the MPCS Lower School Spanish Teacher and is part of the International Fair planning committee.

Click here to learn more about CommUNITY at Mount Paran Christian School.

To learn more about a diverse, Christian education, please click here.