"The program gets us to realize we are not the only people in this world and shows us to respect other religions," said Stephanie Rojas, a student at the middle school. "It's cool to see how different their everyday life is from ours. They stand and bow when teachers enter and stay silent through the whole session. It's neat to learn about."
Throughout the course of the day, students were presented with martial arts demonstrations from several countries, went on an Internet scavenger hunt, tested true Chinese cuisine, designed their own Chinese lamps and even created their own calligraphic texts in traditional Chinese font.
For students like Ben Lostocco, the program have him an opportunity to gain some trivia knowledge about foreign lands. Lostocco proudly stated during the scavenger hunt he had learned about Lui Bang, an Emperor who overcame odds and financial struggles to become the first and only peasant to take total leadership of the country.
The event is the second day of a three-part series that aims to give children a variety of hands-on experiences. Other cultural days include Egyptian and Middle Ages programs.
"When you teach about different cultures, you are also teaching students to respect the differences of that culture," said Elizabeth Mihalakos, social studies teacher and "China Day" coordinator at the middle school.
Mihalakos said the teachers could see an immediate shift in the students' attitudes as a result.
Several teachers said the program has also helped students understand differences in cultures are not necessarily bad and are the basis of how the United States was founded.
"These children were so young during 9-11 and many don't understand what happens if you put a label on people," said Rebecca Powers, sixth-grade teacher at the middle school. "If we can teach them to be open in learning about other cultures, they will be more accepting as they grow."