South African Village with children.
On Friday, Dec. 11, Lake Anne Nursery Kindergarten (LANK) held its third annual Global Village event, which celebrated family, peace, and diversity. Through four village scenes, LANK preschoolers and their families experienced traditions, customs, and unique cultural insights into what it means to be a family in different parts of the world.
LANK built four village scenes that served as replicas of what a “visit” to South Africa, Thailand and Indonesia, Scotland, and a community shelter may be like. With a trip to each, students interacted, built, asked questions, and explored, thereby stimulating their natural curiosity and desire to learn. They sang a family song from South Africa and made braided Koeksisters (a donut), played with traditional paper sailing baskets called "Loi Krathong" from Thailand, learned about Scottish families called “clans,” and how families who experience transition or challenge may spend some time together in a temporary shelter. In the shelter they discussed the difference between needs and wants. To sweeten the experience, unique foods and drinks from each village were available to sample, and books and musical instruments were showcased to round out the event.
In an effort to tie the global community theme to our local community, families were asked to bring a blanket donation that was then provided to the Embry Rucker Community Shelter, a Reston organization that provides residential and drop-in services and supplies each night for up to 70 people. The shelter is urgently in need of blankets this winter. For information on how you can donate, contact Susan Alger, volunteer manager, at susan.alger@cornerstonesva.org or 571-323-1383.
--Jacquelyn Roth