Events featuring food, art, clothing, dance, and culture bring Shawnee Mission School District communities together throughout the year.
Each one gives attendees the chance to “Revel in Your Heritage,” the May 2025 theme for Read Across SMSD.“
Everyone has their own unique cultural identity and events like this help us all learn more about ourselves and the people we see everyday,” noted Kaitlin Shulman, coordinator of diversity, equity, and inclusion. “It’s such an important part of ensuring belonging for all.”
May’s elementary featured book is “Aloha Everything” by Kaylin Melia George. The book highlights a young girl who is taking time to revel in her Hawaiin heritage.
Some events, like the Cultural Arts Festival at Broken Arrow Elementary, invite students to share about their family’s culture from around the world.
Ezra Flemmer, first grader, enjoyed the chance to share quesadillas celebrating Mexico.
“They are a mixture of cheese and chicken and I really like them. It’s delicious,” Fleming shared. “Tonight people are making food and serving others, being helpful, being kind. It’s been great!”
As a leader in the student council, Ishaan Bhakta, fourth grader, assisted in a room featuring limbo. One of his favorite parts of the festival was the chance to play new games highlighting different cultures.
“My school does an event like this so kids can learn about cultures that people share,” Bhakta expressed. “I like trying new foods, playing all of these games, and learning about new cultures.”
Maile, a junior at Shawnee Mission East High School, shared about her Hawaiian heritage at a similar event held at her school this year. She talked about visiting her family in Hawaii, where she gets to see relatives, enjoy a bonfire, learn new phrases, and make surfboards and other items out of wood.
“I love getting to share my heritage with classmates,” she expressed. “It’s been a big part of who I am for my whole life and it helps me learn more about my culture. I love hearing about other cultures and exploring different examples of my own.”
At this year’s Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Night, Kaitlin Shulman said the night held special meaning for her as she celebrated her Filipino Heritage.
“I’m multiracial and I grew up spending a lot of time at my grandparent’s house,” she shared. “It was there that I really felt the heart of Filipino culture – through the food we cooked together, the stories they shared, and the traditions we passed down.”
She invites everyone to take the opportunity to experience events like this one and explore their heritage.
About Read Across SMSD
Read Across SMSD is modeled after the National Read Across America program and is led in partnership with NEA-Shawnee Mission and the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation. Books for Shawnee Mission students are made possible through the Foundation. Click here for the Read Across SMSD webpage, featuring resources from previous years, archive videos, and more information about the program.
NEA Book List:
Aloha EverythingBy Kaylin Melia George
Fake Chinese Sounds
By Jing Jing Tsong
Lunar New Year Love Story
By Gene Luen Yang
Shawnee Mission School District is the third largest school district in Kansas. The district serves students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade in 34 elementary schools, five middle schools, five high schools, and several educational centers. It has been consistently ranked among the finest school districts nationwide for its high student performance. The district’s objective is that each student will have a personalized learning plan that will prepare them for college and careers, with the interpersonal skills they need for life success. The district serves a diverse student population from 14 cities within northeast Johnson County, Kansas, which is 10 miles from downtown Kansas City, Missouri. For more information, visit www.smsd.org.
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