Expedition Calvert Brings Visitors from Near and Far!

Seventh Age has spent the year studying South America. On Monday, the class had the opportunity to speak with students at Graded, an American school in São Paulo, Brazil. Students took turns asking and answering questions about the school day schedule, their favorite classes and hobbies, typical meals, and the weather. Calvert students then shared information about raising Monarch butterflies, and Graded students shared their endangered species projects.

 

Edna Albuquerque, a native of Brazil, and her son Eric, a senior at Park School, visited Calvert to speak to the Seventh Age about Brazil. They enthusiastically shared information about their native country and responded to the students’ inquisitive questions. They also brought delicious homemade coconut treats and brigadeiros, which are similar to bonbons, for the students to experience a taste of Brazil.

 

The Eighth Age welcomed two guest speakers on Monday as part of their Expedition Calvert study of Saudi Arabia. Two Johns Hopkins International Care Coordinators, Abdelhafid El Idrissi and Mustafa Almahi, shared a captivating PowerPoint presentation about the geography, demographics, language, flag, dress, and religion of Islam. The students clearly enjoyed the presentation as they responded with many excellent questions.

 

The Ninth Age welcomed Marie-Camille Havard back to Calvert. Madame Havard, a native of France, taught French at Calvert for 19 years. She engaged the children in a student-centered presentation about her home country. She explained the geography, language, and cuisine of France. Students were thrilled to learn Madame Havard’s recipe for crepes!

The Tenth Age had a conversation through Skype with students at Apostólica in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Both schools prepared the students ahead of time by brainstorming questions to ask about school, hobbies, community, and food. Skyping etiquette was discussed beforehand and there was reflection after the skyping concluded. In addition, the Tenth Agers prepared pen pal letters describing our school, city, and traditions which have been received by their Mexican friends.

 

The Fifth Grade welcomed Bryan Kelleher, a teacher at Gilman who lived in South Africa for three years and traveled throughout the country. Mr. Kelleher talked about his experiences in South Africa, primarily about his visits to Kruger National Park and encounters with the wildlife.

 

The Parent Ambassador Board Diversity and Inclusion Committee helped identify community members with knowledge of the countries and cultures our students are studying. In addition, Sandry Sachar, Calvert Global Outreach Coordinator, connected Calvert students and teachers with peers in countries they are studying. Thank you to our speakers, the Parent Ambassadors, and teachers for providing our students with these opportunities!