by Elizabeth Connolly
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Pine Hill Elementary School held its third annual International Night from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Any passerby could easily see how popular the event is, as vehicles quickly filled parking spots and streams of students and caregivers entered the school. Once inside, each student was given a passport in which they could fill with flag stickers that were given out by the different “countries” set up inside the auditorium. Attendees were then offered pizza and a water bottle before entering the main event space, which was transformed into a journey through many different lands and cultures.
Each country was presented by a volunteer sponsor, typically a group or family with a personal interest in it. Beautifully decorated tables represented the different territories, each one featuring an array of interesting facts, information about the flag and local currency, and a tasty sampling of a regional food item, or in some cases, several of them. Everything was so thoughtfully prepared that it was easy to see why the event is so beloved. Some groups even added the special touch of dressing in clothing that is traditional to the land that they chose to present.
“Oh my gosh, everything looks amazing. I can’t believe the food in here. I shouldn’t have had dinner before I came!” one visitor remarked as she was browsing the food offerings with her children in tow.
“I tried almost everything,” a student boasted to a friend as they looked through their passports, counting flag stickers. “And I think I got all the flags, too!”
This year’s event was sponsored by the Pine Hill Community School Association (CSA). The event coordinators were Monika Acharya, Irene Saranteas Bassalee, and Joyce Silvia. An astonishing 28 countries across six continents were represented, which is a new record There were also some wonderful Irish and Polish dance presentations, as well as a Scottish Taber Toss demonstration, which is a Highland Games event. It was another fantastic year of learning, fellowship, and fun at Pine Hill’s International Night!
