Comstock Park — As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Mill Creek Middle School students and parent volunteers enjoyed a fiesta on Oct. 7. Mandy Bernal-Hill, PBIS coordinator and event organizer, wanted it to center around food and music.
Students at all three lunch hours sampled tajin spice sprinkled on pineapple and fresh limes on their taco meat, as well as Mexican candy. They put together a playlist of their favorite songs, and some wore flags representing Mexico, Guatemala, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Volunteers also assembled paper flowers, and an interactive board that displayed information about famous people from Hispanic countries.
Eighth-grader Araceli Torres-Perez enjoys the Banda style of Mexican music and helped put together the fiesta playlist. One of more than 100 Hispanic students at Mill Creek representing 27 percent of the student body, Araceli moved from Mexico to Comstock Park about a year ago and is quickly learning English. Being a part of the planning for the fiesta helped boost her confidence, said Bernal-Hill.
