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SPOTLIGHT ON EDUCATION
IN THE
WILKES COUNTY SCHOOLS
November 20, 2014
Volume 3 Issue 03
Day of the Dead Celebrated at Wilkes Central High School
Wilkes Central students in Luis Bastidas’ Spanish classes researched the Day of the Dead celebration
and made masks to accompany the research. An essay contest was held among the students. Several
teachers at Wilkes Central served as judges. The winning essay is below.
Dia de Los Muertos
El Dia de Los Muertos translates to The Day of The Dead in English. It is celebrated in Latin America. This holiday carries a deep meaning for everyone involved. It occurs over a time period of two days full of vivacious festivities dedicated to honoring the everlasting memory of friends and family who have passed on.
El Dia de Los Muertos has roots dug deep in Catholicism and indigenous Aztec culture. It takes place on the first
and second of November, which are All Saints Day and All Souls Day in the Catholic calendar. However, most do
not consider it to be a religious holiday. People who observe the holiday believe the dead would find mourning
insulting. Therefore, Dia de Los Muertos commemorates those who have passed with the music, foods, drinks,
and activities the deceased favored during their lifetime.
Many residents create an altar for the deceased to honor them. It is decorated with various flowers, scents, pictures, and the deceased’s most enjoyed foods and beverages. Afterwards, they make their way toward the cemetery to fix up their loved one’s gravesite before decorating it with more flowers and paper decorations.
Because Dia de Los Muertos is such a festive holiday, present-day customs also include making sugar skulls
and masks. Skeletons and skulls are the most well known and best recognized symbols for the day. The masks
that everyone wears in the celebration of The Day of the Dead are used to celebrate the death of the people that
they’ve lost.
Most of these masks are made out of bright colors to represent that they aren’t upset about the loss of life. The
color red is used to represent blood, and yellow, found in the Mexican Marigold, is commonly used to symbolize
death. Orange is usually used as a representation of the sun. Purple is used to show the sad part of the celebration: the grief, pain, and mourning associated with the passing of a loved one. It can also be used to symbolize
royalty and riches. Pink represents the hope and purity of the dead for the celebration, white is also used for this.
Black is used to represent the land of the dead, known as the underworld.
Individuals participating in Dia de Los Muertos view death and the afterlife as part of the “human experience;” (National Geographic) it is part of the natural progression of birth, childhood, and adulthood. The dead are
thought to be brought back from the afterlife to participate in the merrymaking with loved ones.
For those unaccustomed with The Day of The Dead, just the name itself may evoke feelings of sadness about
the loss of life. Though as one can see with all the bright colors and festivities celebrating the cycle of life, El Dia
de Los Muertos is much more than death itself.
Winning essay written by Amber Wagoner
Inside this issue:
Dates to Remember
Day of the Dead Honored at WCHS
Page 1
Nov. 22 Down Syndrome Showcase
Masks Created by WCHS Spanish Classes
Page 2
Nov. 23 Nutcracker Tea
Veterans Day Program at Wilkesboro Elem. Page 3
Dec. 1
CIS Dance Program
Pumpkin Book Characters Displayed
Page 3
Dec. 2
Poetry Out Loud
Red Ribbon Day
Page 4
Dec. 3
Volunteer Grandparent Luncheon
“Buffalo” Barfield at Mulberry
Page 4
Dec. 5
Youth Leadership
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 03
NOVEMBER 2014
Masks Commemorating Day of the Dead Celebration
.
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 03
NOVEMBER 2014
Veterans Day Program Celebrated at Wilkesboro Elementary
On Wednesday, November 5 Wilkesboro
Elementary School honored veterans at a
special Veterans' Day program. Students
invited family members or friends to be
their special guest at the program. The
guests were treated to patriotic songs performed by the student body. Fifth grade
student ambassadors, Wesley Furr and
Samuel Harbour, led everyone in the
pledge to the American flag. The guest
speaker was Retired Lieutenant Colonel
Timothy Fuller. Lieutenant Colonel Fuller is
the Senior Aerospace Science Instructor for
Air Force JROTC at Wilkes Central High
School and is a veteran of Desert Storm,
Operations Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi
Freedom. All veterans were given a small
gift of appreciation after the program .
Pumpkin Book Characters Displayed at CC Wright
Placing 2nd in the Pumpkin Contest was the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland
made by 5th graders in Ms. McBurney’s class. They raised $20.44. Third place went to
Harry from A Cricket in Times Square created by Ms. Melton’s 4th grade class. They
raised $19.27.
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 03
NOVEMBER 2014
Red Ribbon Day
Mulberry Elementary students arrived at school one
day during Red Ribbon Week
dressed in as “Much RED as
You Can.” As you can see in
the photo to the left, Mulberry students did themselves
proud as well as being proud
that they attend Mulberry
School.
“Buffalo” Barfield at Mulberry
In late October, “Buffalo” Barfield and Dena Michelle came to Mulberry Elementary.
The Barfields have performed at festivals
all over the east coast. They have been
regulars at Merle Fest for the last seven
years. Jessica Ferguson invited Buffalo
Barfield to present a jug band workshop
with all second and third grade students.
The students learned about how to use
one mans trash to make their own treasure! Students made kazoos and jugs in art
class with Mrs. Horrell. The classes gave a
jug band performance to PTO on Nov. 17.
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 03
NOVEMBER 2014
November 3, 2014 Board of Education Good News
2014-2015 AIG AP/Honors MiniGrants
Eighteen mini-grants were awarded
at the November 3 meeting. The winners and schools are: EWHS, Laura
Wills; NWHS, Summerlyn Glass, Sara
Miles , Michael Triplett, Tony Warren;
WWHS, Angelia Church, Rachel
Hughes, Susan Sprinkle; WCHS, Ginger Bentley, Laura Brooks, Kaylene
Burcham-Hall, Heather Colvard,
Heather Hahn, Kayren Hall, Marian
Marley, Nathan Tubburt, Nancy
Wayne; WECHS, Kelly Pipes. Not all
teachers were present to receive the
award.
Title I Top Performing School
The United States Department of Education continues to sponsor a differentiated
system of recognition, accountability and
support for schools. Wilkesboro Elementary School has been identified as one of
the state’s top performing Title I school,
also known as a Reward School, or the
2014-2015 school year. Accepting the
award from Dr. Marty Hemric, Superintendent of Wilkes County Schools is Sandra
Burchett, principal at Wilkesboro Elementary. Standing behind the presentation are
several Wilkesboro Elementary teachers.
North High Band Director, Melanie Hudson, Addresses the Board
Melanie Hudson, Band Director at
North Wilkes High School delivered a PowerPoint presentation to
the Wilkes County School Board
on November 3, 2014. Ms. Hudson
spoke about the progress made in
the band programs at all Wilkes
County high schools through the
contributions of local benefactors
and community sponsors. She
also quoted several of her students on how being a band member has had a positive impact on
their high school career.