|
11 October 2011
La Esperanza Celebrates Guatemalan Independence With Style
Independence Day was celebrated here at the school with two weeks of exciting activities for the children. There were impressive performances in singing, recital and group dance competitions, high emotions in the football championship finals and a beautiful display of Guatemalan culture in folkloric performances and creative artwork. All of the children had a great time and there were heart-warming displays of school spirit.
One of the most exciting events was the Señorita (Miss) and Niña (Little Miss) La Esperanza competition which coincided with the national elections here in Guatemala and was intended to teach the children a little about the voting process, as well as being fun for all!
Representatives were chosen from each class to compete for the titles of Señorita and Niña La Esperanza in one of the biggest events of the school year. The contestants dazzled spectators with their talents in singing, dancing, painting and even fashion design! Each girl spoke for a few minutes about themselves, their heroes and on how important the school is for them. Many of the girls spoke about their love and admiration for their hardworking mothers and it was very touching. In the final round of the competition the ‘Niña’s and ‘Señorita’s expressed themselves through some incredibly colourful and creative outfits, walking the runway to the cheers of their classmates. It was wonderful to see so much confidence the children had with the support and encouragement from their peers. A panel of judges selected the final three contestants in each category and, two days after the big show, votes were taken at stations around the school.
An official crowning ceremony for Señorita and Niña la Esperanza was held at the end of the week. Congratulations to Fatima in Class 1A who won the title of ‘Niña La Esperanza’ and Leyda in Class 3 of the Secondary School who was crowned ‘Señorita La Esperanza’. Furthermore, Evelyn in 3A and Shirley in Reception Class were given the titles of Flor de La Esperanza and Niña de Independencia. From the Secondary School Manuela in 1A was voted Señorita Deportes, and Maria de los Angeles, Señorita Simpatica. Last year’s winners gave formal speeches and handed their sashes over to their successors. After the ceremony, all of the Niñas and Señoritas danced elegantly with their smartly dressed chaperones. The dance-floor soon became full as the disco took full swing. There was some impressive dancing by the teachers!
There were also some great performances during the ‘Concurso de Cancion y Declamacion’ (song and recital competition) and the children danced enthusiastically during the ‘Concurso de Gimnasia’ (group rhythmic dance competition). It was clear that the children´s creative routines were well-rehearsed and the smiles showed they enjoyed every minute too! They clearly took great pride in their performances and showing the rest of the school what they could do.
One of the most anticipated events of the week were the finals of the La Esperanza Football Championship. The preceding games had been tense and on the final day emotions were high! All the girls´ and boys´ teams played really well together and showed passion for the game. Classmates held banners and cheered until their throats were dry, a few tears were even shed over goals!
The Independence Day celebrations were brought to an end by an imaginative display of Guatemalan tradition. The children in the school wore beautiful, traditional Guatemalan dress and performed folkloric dances with their classmates. The girls wore skirts of intricate and multi-coloured, hand-woven fabric along with incredible blouses embroidered with bright and beautiful flowers. The boys looked just as smart in their white shirts, trousers, straw hats and little red scarves. Around the school each class had also assembled colourful and imaginative displays to represent Guatemala and its national heritage, including representations of the national bird, the landscape of the country, food and clothing. The creativity in the students' artwork was really impressive and it was great to see how proud they are of their culture and of their customs.
It was amazing to be able to share this experience with the children in the school and to see how much pride they have in both their school and their country. Seeing such confidence in children from the most difficult of backgrounds and the support and encouragement their classmates gave them was genuinely heart-warming.