Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Maie Ellis Elementary School students dance for guests at the school's international festival on May 26. Shane Gibson photos
Maie Ellis students, from left, Alan Leon, Angel Hernandez and Alexander Ruiz prepare for a Hispanic cultural dance.
Maie Ellis Elementary School student Zeltzin Favela, center, prepares for a Hispanic culture dance. Shane Gibson photos
Maie Ellis Elementary School students dance for guests. Shane Gibson photos
Signs promoting friendship hang at Fallbrook's Maie Ellis Elementary School. Shane Gibson photos
Maie Ellis student Ondreea Piceno poses with Instituto Metropolitano Tijuana student Kyara Lizetty Herrera.
Juan Pablo Corona Perez and Victor Martinez Tirado work with Sra. Arias' first graders on a math activity.
In back, Maie Ellis principal Edie Powers, left, and first grade teacher Ana Arias pose with their guests, in front, Instituto Metropolitano principal Rosa Maria Castillo, left, and English coordinator Lizetty Herrera at the international festival.
Maie Ellis Elementary School students dance for guests who include students from Instituto Metropolitano Tijuana.
FALLBROOK − Maie Ellis Elementary celebrated the end of the first year of its dual immersion program with an all-day international festival on May 26.
The festivities were built around a visit from the dual program's sister school, Instituto Metropolitano Tijuana, which has been traveling from Tijuana to Fallbrook for the past five years to visit the students of the La Paloma Dual Immersion Program.
When the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District (FUESD) combined all the dual classes into one school at Maie Ellis this year, the sister school program followed thanks to the continued coordination efforts of teacher Ana Arias. This was their first visit to Maie Ellis, so the PTSA decided to create a whole day of culture for the students of both schools.
The students of the Instituto Metropolitano Tijuana arrived shortly after school began for the day. First they attended a play performed by one of the Maie Ellis second grade classes. Then the visitors broke up into small groups to spend some time in various classrooms, practicing their English and seeing what Maie Ellis students do on a regular day.
After lunch the families of many Maie Ellis students joined the students, faculty, staff, and sister school visitors for an International Dance Festival led by Laura DuPre, a third grade teacher who has been teaching in Fallbrook and organizing an international dance festival for many years. Each class picked a dance from around the world and after weeks of practice, performed it for the whole school. Dances ranged from the traditional Mexican Hat dance to modern favorites like the Macarena and country line dances.
After school the students and visitors stayed on campus for the first annual International Friends Festival. Each Maie Ellis class hosted a booth featuring an English or Spanish speaking country where students could make a craft, play a game, or taste food from that country. For example, participants tried tapas from Spain, made mini piñatas in Mexico, created butterflies when they visited Costa Rica, and played hockey with Canada.
Thanks to many hours of work by the dedicated Maie Ellis teachers and PTSA volunteers, the first annual International Friends Day was a great success.
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