Washington Primary School is a proverbial melting pot, not unlike its counterparts across Huntington UFSD. It’s filled with children from families with a wide range of backgrounds and food tastes, many of which will be explored during a series of virtual cultural cooking nights, which kick-off on Friday, January 29.
Washington students recently learned about the process of presidential inauguration in the US and in keeping with that theme, the Van Horn family will showcase the preparation of American apple pie dumplings and homemade hot chocolate.
The initiative is being spearheaded by Washington’s School Shared Decision Committee with parent Leah Van Horn taking the lead. The Family Cultural Cooking Committee includes Emily Meyers, Melissa Anderson, Katie Kalkau, Donna Alberico, Nicole Lennon, Maria Wen Adcock, Miriam Gonzalez-Engle and Linda Kohan.
“The Washington Primary School family consists of representation from over 23 countries such as Nigeria, Pakistan, Greece, El Salvador, Haiti, Mexico and Honduras, to name a few,” Principal Michelle Richards said. “It is our continuous goal to embrace and validate the importance, creativity and contributions of every country represented among our Washington family. Food, along with music, are universal messages of love! We are proud to have our families, faculty and staff be a part of this wonderful experience for our children.”
A series of monthly cooking nights are planned between now and June. With each month’s theme, families will receive a kit filled with essential ingredients necessary to cook the dish. The virtual presentation will take place via Zoom or Google Meets.
“We will channel our inner Julia Childs as we welcome each other’s cultures into our individual kitchens,” Dr. Richards said. “It is an opportunity for families to gather and enjoy time with each other while experiencing the smells, tastes and sounds of the many countries we celebrate as Washington Primary School.”