Parent teams have escorted students on tours of India, China, Canada, France, Muslim countries, Scandinavia, South America, Iran, Greece, and Africa. Students eagerly anticipate the opportunity as each new country is featured. The displays are a popular attraction as students visit the LRC throughout the week. Spurred by the Around the World series, spontaneous conversations occur in the classrooms, throughout the building, and in students homes. Teachers think this series ties in well to the Information Literacy Goal in our School Improvement Plan.
Teachers see an increased interest in and awareness of students in their global community.
The series also supports the District 203 Diversity initiative of creating a greater awareness and understanding of others. Staff members report that this on-site opportunity has been helpful in increasing their own general knowledge base. This is a direct connection to the District s staff development plan for multicultural awareness. It has been our experience that through this series our parents have developed a higher level of ownership in and sense of belonging to the River Woods School community. Their strong commitment to this project has been evidenced by the high level of participation, enthusiasm, enjoyment, and quality of the presentations.