Merrill Students Celebrate Pan American Day

Merrill Middle School, an International Baccalaureate school, sent 15 students to Drake University this week to visit Spanish language classes and witness cultural music and dance as part of Pan American Day festivities.

Pan American includes all of the Americas – North, South and Central.

“At a glance, our cultures look very different,” said Mitch Majre, a Merrill Spanish Heritage/Immersion student. “But when you really look at things, we’re all the same.”

And that’s what Majre’s teacher, Clemencia Spizzirri had in mind when she sought a learning opportunity outside the classroom.  She said the social-media world we live in can be very isolating, so it’s important students travel outside the classroom and see what different cultures have in common and what can keep them united.

“It opens their minds and lets them blossom as human beings, as citizens of the world,” she said.  “We have to focus not only on the academics but on the humanness of each person.”

Seventh-grader Nathalia Munoz said the whole experience at Drake has left her feeling energized about her studies.

“Fun, exciting, excellent,” Munoz said. “I like it.”

View Photos of Pan American Day

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