Pink Cluster Students Explore the World from Their Classrooms

Posted on Thursday, March 16th, 2023

This week, the Pink Cluster welcomed visitors from Ireland and Iran to learn about their cultures and the spring holidays of St. Patrick’s Day and Nowruz.

On Wednesday, Caroline McCarthy (mother of Teddy), visited to speak about her Irish culture and St. Patrick’s Day traditions. Caroline originally hails from County Cork, Ireland. She read the students O’Sullivan Stew, which is all about the importance of storytelling in Irish culture. Caroline brought the students fun St. Patrick’s Day accessories such as shamrock glasses and necklaces.

Then on Thursday, Delaram Saidi and John McGeehan (parents of Sassan and Shapur) joined the cluster in the South Building cafeteria to tell them about the Persian new year holiday, Nowruz. The word Nowruz means “new day” in Farsi (the language spoken in Iran), and it marks the beginning of the new year in the Persian calendar, which usually falls on the spring equinox. After reading the book Norooz, A Celebration of Spring! The Persian New Year, which describes the traditions surrounding the holiday such as spring cleaning, purchasing new clothes, and eating sweet pastries, the students prepared the items that would be placed on a special table called “Haft-Seen” (which means “seven S’s” in Farsi). The names of all the items (which include apples, vinegar, eggs, coins, and grasses) begin with the letter “S” in Farsi. The students are all ready to celebrate Nowruz, which this year will fall on the evening of March 20. 

How fortunate for the students that they could explore the world from their classrooms by welcoming these special visitors!