WASHOUGAL — Staff, students and even classrooms of Jemtegaard Middle School were transformed Nov. 2 to celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) to honor Latino students and share in the beauty of their culture.
Short videos featuring students with Latin heritage were created and shown in conjunction with morning announcements the week leading up to the event. Eighth-graders Edelaine Barbosa, Kenzy Gutierrez and Abby Picho described what the holiday looks like, how it is celebrated and even shared a few emotional words about the family members they would be honoring. The idea for hosting the celebration was led by history teacher Scott Rainey.
“The success of this event has meant the world to our Hispanic students,” said Rainey. “It was wonderful for our staff to come together to celebrate them, their families and their beautiful culture. I am honored to be a small part of bringing these traditions to greater recognition in Washougal and look forward to even more widespread celebrations in the future.”
