Erwin Middle School Multi-Cultural Night

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As one of the most diverse school districts in Buncombe County, Erwin District is a rich tapestry of races, cultures and languages — 17 to be exact. As we all know, middle school can be tough. You’re transitioning into a whole new phase of life. Now think if you had to make that same transition as well as overcome cultural related barriers. It can be more than a little overwhelming — and not just for the children, but for the parents as well. 

To make that transition a little less intimidating, Erwin Middle School hosted its annual Multi-Cultural Night & Open House last Thursday night. "Students bring so much multi-cultural knowledge and life-experiences to our community," said, Linnea Burgevin, one of United Way's Student Resource Coordinators. "This night is about celebrating that. Where many of these families face barriers to access and resources, this night is about making people feel welcome in our school for exactly who they are. Slowly we are working towards building that into the very fabric of our school. Families walk into the front office and are greeted by folders saying 'Welcome!' in various languages with information packets about our district. They are shown a video our students filmed with important parental school information. They are then guided on a tour of the school by our student ambassadors. The new student is paired with a 'Welcome Warrior' in their classes to act as a host. Multi-Cultural Night is the celebration part of the systems work we do every day to make our Community School a place where all families, regardless of background or language, feel a part of this place." 

And one student summed it up this way: "I like being a part of Multi-Cultural Night each year because I feel proud of my country and my culture. My friends get to see who I am and the food I eat and the people I come from. I feel proud to be a Welcome Warrior to serve for other new students in the school, and then to show my pride in the celebration of the evening."
 
We couldn’t have said it better! 

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