International Day at Dalian American International School is a great chance for our students and families to learn about all the amazing countries that our students and staff represent. Families showcased rich traditions and cultural practices from their home countries and even treated us to delicious snacks.
The celebration kicked off with a very special ceremony. The secondary instrumental group (combination of HS and MS advanced level bands) directed by Ms. Olga performed nineteen national anthems during the flag ceremony. It was amazing to see people gathering around their home country booths, waving the flags and singing.
This year DAIS students, parents, teachers, as well as their families and friends ran 19 booths representing countries from all over the globe, including Canada, Spain, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, France, USA, China, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Germany, Singapore, Cambodia, and Mexico. Every booth had so many things to offer: games, activities, food and drinks, books and decorations… The whole event went over with a bang!
All children who attended the event were able to pick-up a Passport Book from the PSP Booth. The children participated in activities at all booths, learned about each country they visited, and received a stamp. Once all the stamps were collected, kids were able to turn the Passport Books in at the PSP Booth in exchange for a prize.
Our amazing music teacher, Melody Gifford, put together a line-up of some fantastic student and teacher performances on the main stage during the whole event. We had about 20 different groups performing some traditional music, popular songs, dances, and even a martial arts demonstration!
Although many countries offered authentic snacks and drinks to our visitors, we also invited some local restaurants to serve delicious food right outside the gym, including Mi Casa (Mexican cuisine), Casa (Italian cuisine), Wandering Moose, Hard Rock Café, Beima Café, Shanhuai Japanese Sushi, and Conor’s Place (ice cream).
The PSP (Parent School Partnership) board, Coach K, Ms. Olga and Mrs. Gifford put a great deal of effort into this event which allowed us to enjoy the incredible talent that exists in our community. Thanks to everyone that helped in large and small ways to make this event happen. It takes a community to pull it all together. Just yet another example of Together is Better!
