Approximately 1,000 attendees and participants including Middle School students, their families, ASF employees and staff, and Lower School students accompanied by their teachers visited the first International Day at ASF hosted by the Middle School.

The day consisted of a flag parade, student presentations regarding every country represented by the school, ethnic foods and music. The goal of the International Day was to build a stronger sense of a united community among our students. While we are an international school, many of our students don't realize the vast diversity of students that come to the ASF community literally, from every corner of the world. The students researched all of the countries with support from their teachers and ASF parents and members of the Parent Association that are natives of all of the countries represented.

What makes this event so unique is different than most international schools, is that ASF students (and not parents) did the research, made presentations to all of the guests and prepared the ethnic foods for the guests. The event was student-driven, not parent-driven.

Below is the list of countries represented:

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Canada
• China
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Denmark
• Ecuador
• England
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• India
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Lebanon
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Peru
• Russia
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Spain
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• United States
• Venezuela

The International Day Committee consisted of Silvia Lomelí (MS Head Coordinator, Angie Alemán (PA Vice President), and Valeria Castillo (Parent Volunteer), coordinated with the MS administration, Dr. Lewis, Mr. Cheney and Mrs. Diane Clement, who organized this great event as a team. The countries were chosen through surveys conducted to be able to determine which students and parents had been born or lived in certain countries. Once they were determined, students from different Advocacy classes chose the country they wanted to study and represent on the day of the event. They also had to make a flag and decorate their stand.

Volunteer parents came to classes to explain and help students who required an extra hand, but the students had to do all the research themselves!  Parents were asked to bring in 80 appetizers that best represented their country. Parents were asked to bring items that they might have from their homeland to share with the students to decorate their stand. It was a complete cooperation between teachers, students and international parents and a great cultural community-building event!