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 Ahh…September…back to school. Well, as a mother of five I look forward to the first day of school. My immediate thoughts go to “FREEDOM”. Before that first day of school, I try to sit down with each child and comb through the school papers and photos from the last school year (mostly, I try to do this so that I don’t get the years mixed up).
This past school year, I was drawn to the fact that there are 29 nations represented in my kid’s school. This is a phenomenal statistic to me because I started my grammar school years in the next town in the early 1970’s when school busing was implemented to "integrate" schools.
The theme for my kid’s school last year was “Sailing the World”. Every grade focused on a continent and learned tons of interesting facts about the continent, its peoples and cultures. My daughter Leah’s class celebrated Asia on International Night. Her class performed songs in a foreign language and a dragon dance. In the classroom, the parents experienced the games, customs, clothing and foods of Asia. Leah really experienced Asia in a personal way because her best friend is Cambodian.
As most of America prepares to send children “Back to School” in September, I encourage you to scrapbook about how you learn about other cultures. What other cultures are among your circle of friends, whether it be at work, church or school. Honor the spirit of learning by taking a moment to reflect on other cultures and scrapbook the impact they have on your life. | 
