The diverse cultures and sundry foods of countries ranging from Egypt to Brazil were showcased at Bird Middle School on Thursday, May 21 as the school hosted its annual Country Fair with the sixth grade class. Beginning at 7 pm in the cafeteria and in the gym, the Country Fair featured 165 sixth grade students presenting poster boards of 116 different countries. Families and friends explored the different cultures and even got a taste of typical foods from the foreign countries.

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(Gallery/ Nicole McNamara)

Organized by Mr. David Cuzzi, a sixth grade social studies teacher at Bird Middle School, the Country Fair is the culminating event for a year-long research project.  Throughout the year, students learned about various foreign countries and eventually selected a country to research. With Mr. Cuzzi’s approval of their proposal, students researched their country and projected their information on tri-fold display boards. Students even dressed up in a costume that represented their country and brought in a typical food dish from their country.

From pineapple empanadas to baklava to Belgium waffles and even coconut cookies, food not only represented the country, but also served as refreshments for the friends and families who attended the event.

“One of my favorite parts of the Country Fair is the food. It is usually very tasty, and it is cool to be able to try foods of different countries,” said sixth grader Erin Foley.

The fair basically serves to inform the Bird students and families about other places and cultures in the world in both an educational and entertaining manner.

The purpose of the poster board was to represent what life is like in the country for the typical middle school-aged child. The topics focused on things that are important to kids like education, recreation, family life, sports, and hobbies. All posters included a map of the country, a chart or graph showing data about the characteristics of children in the country, a handmade flag, a 3D object from that country and various pictures portraying everyday life.

Once Mr. Cuzzi graded the students’ presentations, the students walked around to see the other presentations.

“I enjoyed looking at my friends’ posters and comparing their country to my country. It is interesting to see the differences in cultures,” said sixth grader Timmy Flynn.

This year’s Country Fair enabled students, friends and families to delve into other cultures while enjoying refreshments and socializing with their peers. Although the fair was only for one night, it left a long-lasting impact on the students as a fun and enjoyable event.

“The Country Fair is one of the most memorable things for the students at Bird,” said Mr. Cuzzi. “Most former students still remember their countries.”