By Leslie Fuentes
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, students at Autumn Ridge Middle School participated in a Hispanic Heritage-themed Bookmark Contest and Influential Hispanic Leaders Writing Contest. Students who submitted winning entries were recently honored during a Hispanic Heritage reception.
The event began with opening remarks from Library Media Specialist Takara Badrock, followed by presentations from students sharing what Hispanic Heritage means to them and how they celebrate it with their families.
Eighth grader Sol Pulido discussed the importance of honoring lost loved ones on Día de Los Muertos and explained the significance of a Quinceañera celebration.
“I wanted my classmates to understand that Día de los Muertos is a special day to celebrate their loved ones who have passed away by setting up an altar or sharing a meal with their favorite dishes,” Pulido said. “I also wanted people to know that Quinceañeras are not just any other party; they hold great importance in Hispanic culture.”
The reception also featured a choir performance of “Como la Flor,” and a skit about Selena presented by theater students.
“We have a significant population of Hispanic students here at Autumn Ridge, and it’s important for all of us to learn from one another about why we celebrate Hispanic Heritage,” Ms. Badrock said.
The event concluded with an awards presentation honoring the winners of the Bookmark and Influential Leaders Writing Contests, both of which were open to all students on campus.
The bookmark contest encouraged students to express their creativity by illustrating what Hispanic Heritage means to them, with entries judged on creativity and adherence to the theme. Winning essays in the writing contest were evaluated based on style, grammar, punctuation and detail.
“The writing contest is essential because it gives students the opportunity to choose who they want to write about and learn more about,” Ms. Badrock said. “I believe in student choice and student voice, and writing is such an essential skill for them to develop.”
Eighth grader Bra’lynn Burns participated in the writing contest due to her love for reading and writing. Her essay about Selena Quintanilla was selected as one of the winning entries, conveying her admiration for the artist and the insights she gained through her research.
Eighth grader Ginny Grayshaw wrote the first-place winning essay about former U.S. Treasurer and businesswoman Ramona Acosta Bañuelos. This experience allowed her to learn more about the challenges faced by Hispanic women in the United States during the Great Depression.
"I never considered myself much of a writer, and I sometimes find it hard to put my ideas on paper,” Grayshaw said. “However, writing an essay for this contest helped me improve my writing skills and taught me the importance of having others read my work.”
