In recent weeks, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations and lessons across the District brought vibrant energy, music, and reflection to classrooms and hallways alike. At Richard J. Bailey Elementary School and Woodlands Middle High School, students took the spotlight through performances and programs that highlighted the rich history, diversity, and pride within Hispanic and Latin American cultures.
At WMHS, the celebration was student-curated and led through the lens of Greenburgh CSD’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme. With guidance from Señora Stellato and Ms. LeBlanc, students designed an assembly that reflected authenticity, collaboration, and pride. “When we were organizing and planning the assembly, we used IB to guide how we could make it more authentic through a cultural aspect,” explained WHS IB Diploma Programme senior Courtney Cruz.
Emcees Isabella Cabezas, Nycole Tomala, Bryan Hernandez, and Caterina Gonzalez guided the audience through an engaging program that emphasized both unity and diversity within the Hispanic experience. “Hispanics are not a monolithic group,” the student hosts shared. “While many Hispanic subgroups have characteristics in common, we also reflect great differences in ethnicity, culture, and origin, and span the full racial spectrum—from white, African American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American.”
Music, dance, colorful flags, traditional attire, and interactive trivia brought the celebration to life, inviting the audience to learn and connect through authentic student expression and appreciation.
At RJB, students delivered lively performances that captured the spirit of the month. Organized by Señor Farah, Ms. Dove, Ms. Buckhout, Ms. Patel, and Ms. Losada, the program reflected joyful collaboration across grade levels, language proficiencies, and disciplines. Highlights included the mini-play La Gallinita Roja, the dances Los Machetes and Hija Salvaje y Gozadera, a collaborative Basquiat-inspired art project, and a touching bilingual recitation of Un Mundo de Colores, a poem about belonging and embracing one’s identity:
En el jardín jugamos, juntos, sonriendo.
Cada uno brilla, nadie está perdiendo.
In the garden we play, together, smiling.
Each one shines, nobody is losing.
No quiero ser igual, eso no está bien.
Qué bonito es ser, simplemente quien eres!
I don’t want to be the same; that is not right.
How beautiful it is to be, simply who you are!
Both celebrations captured the many layers within the fabric of Hispanic culture and demonstrated a powerful connection to IB themes, encouraging students to explore identity, community, and global perspectives.
At RJB, students’ participation embodied the month’s IB unit of inquiry Who We Are. For the senior organizers at WMHS, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations are deeply woven into who they are and what their school experience represents. “A lot of senior experiences are bittersweet,” said Isabella Cabezas. “This feels sad—more bitter than sweet.”
Across all grade levels, Hispanic Heritage Month reminded students, families, and staff that celebrating culture means celebrating connection, diversity, and the beauty of being yourself. The celebration extended far beyond the stage, with classroom-based activities taking place in every elementary school throughout the district. Students explored Hispanic culture through art, music, and storytelling; created vibrant bulletin boards that brightened hallways; and shared facts about notable Hispanic and Latin American figures during morning announcements. From colorful displays to daily reflections, it was clear in every building that Greenburgh CSD was celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month together—honoring the contributions and cultures that enrich our community.