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Bellmawr School District’s 4th Annual Multicultural took place on April 12 at Bell Oaks Upper Elementary School and the turnout was great, said Melisa Montes Pagan, an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and Borough resident. “Every year we get more participation.”
Prior to being hired in Bellmawr, Pagan taught in Camden for 16 years and she attended the district’s previous Multicultural Fairs. She now helps with planning and organizing the event.
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To make it bigger and better this year, Pagan incorporated more entertainment. The Bell Oaks Chorale and dancers from the Cummins School of Irish Dance performed and they did an “amazing job,” she said.
Another group of students performed a choreographed dance to “Jai Ho.” The ensemble included her daughter and her friends from cheerleading and dance. To get ready for the performance: “The girls practiced every Monday after school,” Pagan said.
To encourage community involvement, a flyer was sent home to parents inviting them to participate in the event.
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It was up to the participants to chose how to showcase their country. “We had 20 families and 16 countries represented.” Pagan said. Some did posters. Others brought clothing and flags. In Scotland’s display area, a selfie station was set up. Most displays included food samples, which gave attendees the opportunity to sample international fare.
Photo Gallery of the 4th Annual Multicultural Festival by SJO:
