School principal Jonas Barcinas said the event, which will start at 8:15 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m., will be colorful and meaningful following weeks of planning by the committee members under overall chairman Victor Borja.
Several contests and activities will be held, including a Hilitai Pageant to choose the school’s Mr. and Miss Hilitai for 2010.
The Hilitai, or lizard monitor, is the school mascot.
There will be competitions among the six teams of 7th and 8th graders regarding the cultural aspects of island living like husking coconut.
A display of colorful arts, crafts, and local livestock will also be highlighted.
Other educational activities include a showcase of essays and logos with the theme “A Collage of Cultures,” which was chosen during a previous contest.
Barcinas said the committee members are planning to have several booths for the school’s different clubs and presenters.
“We invite the community especially the parents to come out and join the children as they showcase what they have learned through performing arts and more,” Barcinas said.
The event is not only for everybody to have fun but also to help the students better understand cultural values, the way of living and other aspects of the lives of their ancestors.
“Many of our students are not aware of their cultural heritage and history of their parents and grandparents. This is an educational activity which we hope all of our students will enjoy,” Barcinas said.
The students are taught about their cultural values in school, particularly in the Chamorro Carolinian Language Heritage Studies class but seeing the different cultures being showcased will create a stronger impact on the students, he added.
He said it would give the students the chance to recognize other cultures that are part of the Hilitai family such as Chamorro, Carolinian, U.S., Kosraean, Fijian, Tahitian, Samoan, Palauan, Indian, Japanese, Korean, and others.
Barcinas said the Hilitai family is also encouraging government and private agencies to support the event by providing educational information and awareness of their different programs by contacting the school before the event.
“Once again I am asking everyone to come and join us in this colorful celebration at Hopwod where we aspire to make every day the best.”
