Harbor Middle School celebrates Hispanic heritage, by Nathan Weiser

PS 676 / Harbor Middle School hosted Hispanic heritage family night on October 22 from 4-6 pm in the cafeteria.

This was one of their many theme nights throughout the school year. There were many activities at the different tables, Spanish music to listen to and different Red Hook organizations at the event.

There was information on a table about Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Students could color in skulls (calavera) on pieces of paper.

The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pay respects and remember friends and family members who have died.

There was a table in the cafeteria where students and parents could design Day of the Dead themed marigolds using orange tissue paper and green pipe cleaners.

There was a wide range of drawings. One said everyone being different and emphasized diversity and another drawing was about disability awareness. The Future is Inclusive club talks about diversity issues and the money for the pictures went to the school.

On another table, there was information about the well known Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Kahlo is best known for her self-portraits that deal with themes like identity, the human body, religion, birth and death. She often wore flowers in her hair as a symbol of her Mexican heritage.

The range of information and activities continued with a Lee Quinones table. Quinones was born in Puerto Rico in 1960 and moved with his family to New York and grew up in the Lower East Side. He is considered one of the most influential artists to emerge from the NYC graffiti movement of the 1970s and 80s. He was famous for creating massive NYC subway car graffiti that carried his moniker LEE.

In the back where the food is normally served in the cafeteria, a few students were making the the arepa, which is a Colombian dish, from scratch throughout the event.

“The arepa has fried cornmeal cakes on the outside and cheese on the inside. Sometimes there can be a meat or veggie filling.”

Towards the end, there was yellow rice, chicken and plantains for everyone at that was sponsored by the school’s PTA.

Red Hook Art Project (RHAP) had two tables where the students had an opportunity to make an Affirmation Card using markers, pencils and paper.

They designed it with what they are inspired by, a quote they like or something meaningful to them. One had the quote “go everywhere, do everything” and another had a picture of a dog. They got creative with the cards.

There was a Red Hook community mural input survey that was distributed where they asked for feedback for their new exciting murals that they are going to do around the community.   

RHAP offers visual arts classes, film club classes, a digital media program, music classes, meditation classes, clay classes and public adult classes. Their school partners include PS 676, PS 15, Summit Academy and Pave Academy.

Pioneer Works had two tables at the event and had two iPads for the students to look at their art.

The had lots of materials for the students to get creative making puppets with supplies like markers, tacky glue, scissors and multicolor poms. Once they made the puppets, their was green paper on the wall as the green screen and then they could see their project on the iPad.

This Pioneer Works led project is designed for third-fifth graders and they have done this at other neighborhood schools.

Pioneer Works is an artist and scientist-led nonprofit cultural center in Red Hook that fosters innovative thinking through the visual and performing arts, technology, music and science.

The Red Hook Public Library had a table in the front. They had supplies and information about their teen day and their comic book drawing class with Mr. Nick.

Nathan Weiser