Owasso’s Very Own STEAM and Multicultural Night at Ator Elementary
By Makenzy Holm
Tuesday, February 25th was an exciting night for elementary students in Owasso. Ator Elementary hosted a STEAM and Multicultural Night in their gymnasium, which showcased student-made projects that taught about cultures and aspects of STEAM. For just over an hour, students were able to explore different cultures from around the world in their very own school. With booths set up, sponsored by clubs in the high school, live entertainment and even a Taekwondo demonstration, the night was surely one that they will not forget.
Zion Moore was part of one of a few high school clubs that brought an activity to showcase the culture being represented. She wanted to show the students the beauty of another culture that may be different from what they are used to.
Moore shared, “I really think it’s important to show different cultures because not everybody is acclimated to that and I feel like in the classroom we do have multiple different cultures room by room and it’s really important that everybody has a voice.”
Moore and Gracie Newkirk were both running the Códices table, an honors Spanish Club that showed students how to make masks not unlike those used in luchador wrestling matches in Mexico. They both wanted to show other students the joy in learning about someone else’s culture that they may not be familiar with.
“I think it’s important to learn new things about other cultures [so] if they ever wanted to travel to that place, they would know some things about the culture,” junior Newkirk remarked.
Over in the middle of the gym, Chloe Matheny and Abigail Thrower were manning the French Club table that featured a beautiful poster showcasing common French phrases and even snacks traditionally found in France to share. While handing out treats, Thrower shared her point of view.
“I think it’s important to learn [about] different cultures because it is present in their everyday [lives.] … We have everybody [in America] so we should learn about everybody,” Thrower laughed.
Culture was not the only thing being celebrated. There were many different displays of the students' artwork all throughout the gymnasium including a snowman city project, a Black History Month project and even a table where student-made baskets sat to represent those made by Native Americans.
Sadina Eschbach, the enrichment teacher for Smith and Ator elementary, believes that every child should be able to learn how they need to without worrying about the pace of the class. She wants them to feel like they are working towards something important and give them a break from the monotony of the normal school day.
“I think showcasing what they’ve been working on gives them a sense of pride and it allows them to show that the work that they do is worth something,” Eschbach relayed.
Eschbach explains how enrichment is a way for students who excel in specific ways to continue to enhance their abilities outside of a standard classroom.
“[Enrichment] gives them an outlet to be able to explore their gifts and their talents in a way that they wouldn’t get to in the regular classroom.
The STEAM and Multicultural night was a beautiful tribute to those who wished to share the beauty of the world and the beauty of what we have here in Owasso. It was truly an incredible night at Ator that everybody had a smile on their faces and a smile in their hearts.