Recently, Hauser 8th Grade Spanish students took a field trip to the Mexican Cultural Arts Center in Chicago to view an exhibit on the Day of the Dead, create a Mexican craft, and have lunch at a Mexican restaurant. This trip was planned by Spanish teachers Kim Hefner and Elizabeth Morris and made possible in part by our PTA. All the students (and both teachers) wrote thank you notes to the PTA. Here are some excerpts:

“My class really enjoyed it and we learned a lot as well. We saw different kinds of ofrendas (alters)–traditional and contemporary.”
–Molly Ely

“My favorite ofrenda was the one made by school children in memory of the ones who died trying to cross the border”
–Becca Durec

“Day of the Dead made me realize that deaths didn’t have to be sad, that you could celebrate their life instead of mourning their death.”
–Christina Pu

“One of the coolest things was when the artist there showed us how the people back then made colors out of pigments from trees.”
–Tommy Holecek

“In the art class a famous artisan showed us how to make figures of people.”
–Austin McKain

“It was fun to learn about the art and actually get to do it.”
–Cameron Ketchmark

“My favorite part of the trip was getting to eat authentic Mexican food.”
–Anna Reyes

“Thank you very much for providing a wonderful field trip for us. I was learning things for the first time about Spanish that I never knew.”
–Jason Flam

“Thank you for your continued support of the ongoing excellence here at Hauser”
–Elizabeth Morris, Spanish Teacher

“The trip made the Day of the Dead come alive for the students.”
–Kim Hefner, Spanish Teacher