April 14, 2016 -- Students in Heights High’s Spanish classes recently experienced their classroom studies through a film festival and food.
On April 6, Ms. Cuervo’s AP Spanish class traveled to the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) at Tower City. The students watched the movie Landfill Harmonic, which follows a Paraguayan musical youth group that plays instruments made entirely out of garbage. After the movie, the students went to the Colombian restaurant Barroco in Lakewood. The students tried arepas (a corn tortilla filled with different toppings, patacones (fried plantains filled with meat or chicken) and practiced their Spanish as they prepared for their upcoming AP Spanish exam. They learned about the culture in Colombia and Paraguay.
Then on April 8, Ms. Cuervo’s Spanish 3 Honors students attended the International Film Festival to watch the Spanish films and then to lunch at the Latin restaurant Paladar in Eton Chagrin Boulevard. According to Ms. Cuervo, the staff was friendly and even designed a special menu for the students. The class experienced the Spanish language as well as Latin food and culture from different countries such as Cuba, Argentina, Spain and Colombia.
Furthermore, nearly 70 students from Ms. Fatica’s and Ms. Adeyemon’s Spanish 2 and Spanish 2 Honors classes watched the FilmSlam Spanish Shorts Program at CIFF. According to Ms. Fatica and Ms. Adeyemon, the experience aligns with the cultures standard set by the Ohio Department of Education: "As they participate in multilingual communities and various cultures at home and around the world, both in person and via technology, they come to understand and abide by constraints and freedoms afforded to individuals in the target culture(s) and their own.”
The trip also coincides with the District's plan for providing more opportunities for experiential learning. Ms. Fatica's students
participated in a discussion with Dr. Antonio Medina-Rivera from Cleveland
State University. Ms. Fatica said that her student Xavier Thomas is to be commended
for so eloquently responding in Spanish about his favorite film entitled
"Nemo."
Students overall said that they enjoyed the thought-provoking films.
“The film festival was a wonderful experience. The films were interesting and many of them had hidden meanings,” said student Chantee McMillan.
“Every film left you wondering, or thinking about everyday life. I feel the directors really put time and effort into creating the films” said Ryhon Qawwee.
La Fiesta in Richmond Heights hosted the students for lunch, many of whom spoke Spanish with the employees.
The teachers said they were proud of how inquisitive, enthusiastic, and courteous the students were during the field trip.