Last week, Spruce celebrated Black Heritage through a variety of wonderful experiences organized by Ms. Kandise.
A highlight was discovering the stories told through quilts. Ms. Kandise shared a family quilt, captivating the class with its vibrant colors, patterns, and shapes. Students learned that quilts have historically been used to tell stories, express creativity, and bring families and communities together. Inspired by this, each child created their own individual quilt, and the class collaborated on a Spruce Unity Quilt, taking pride in making something meaningful together.
The week also included exploring traditional instruments from Black culture. Students had the opportunity to play bongo drums, balafon, rain sticks, kalimbas, and African Tic-Tok drums. Through singing, clapping, drumming, and moving together, they experienced the joy of making and sharing music.
Cultural traditions connected to food and games added even more richness to the week. Students learned about black-eyed peas as a symbol of luck and new beginnings, played a simplified version of Mancala, and explored sorrel, a hibiscus flower brewed into a traditional Jamaican tea. Many of the children noticed its bright colour and described the flavor as tangy and sweet. We loved watching their reactions when they drank the bittersweet tea. Their expressions were priceless!
From the stories stitched into quilts to the rhythms of music and flavors of new traditions, Spruce students celebrated Black Heritage while making lasting connections.