International Night takes Decatur on tour of world

DECATUR -- Decatur Northside Elementary hosted its annual spring International Night celebration at the school in Decatur May 12.

Several countries were represented during the evening's festivities. Each class picked a country to research. Students translated this into displays of art and music which best represented the country of their choosing.

Camels and pyramid art works represented the ancient culture of Egypt, while paper parrots and a tropical rain forest took visitors deep into the heart of Brazil. Each student contributed his or her talents to produce artwork conveying the history and culture of a selected country.

As visitors walked through the many art displays in the classroom areas, a concert was held in the cafeteria, complete with music, stories and dancing from Panama, Spain and England. Third-grade students performed three pieces from Panama, including "Al Tambor" (The Drum Song) and children's songs from that country.

Next up, was the the fourth-grade class, which performed two folk songs from Spain, including "La Tarara" and "Las Estrellitas del Cielo." They also performed the Spanish Coffee Dance.

Not to be outdone, the fifth graders performed a classic English country dance, two English rounds, "Ah Poor Bird" and "Morning is Come."

Performances by the Decatur High School Band, Howling Bulldogs Choir and Native American Dance rounded out the night of activities.

International Night has become a yearly tradition at the elementary school. At least 500 Decatur area family and friends joined the Northside students on a brief tour of the many cultures that make up the human experience.

General News on 05/25/2016