Dashikis, Saris, and Huipils filled the classrooms of Wesley Pre and Lower schools this morning, as the institution celebrated its annual cultural day. Each class was assigned a culture to represent one out of the 7 main ethnic groups in Belize.

In observance of World Children's Day highlighted by UNICEF, Jomarie Lanza was accompanied by a child reporter at the event,. Here's what Kerwin Guild reported for us today.

Just a few blocks away from Wesley's lower school, we began our cultural day tour at the preschool where dozens of infants crowded around their teacher who was fully invested in demonstrating a Hudut making technique for the children. Teacher Cayetano told us more about the activities she had planned for today.

Zydah Cayetano, Head Teacher, Wesley preschool
"Well first of all we showed them all the stuff that the Geringu use for food and then we went with a Hudut beating demonstration and as well we showed them how to make the Sahou which is a favorite Garifuna porridge."

"At the preschool we teach about all cultures but since we are in November we are highlighting the Garinagu and we have a couple of children who are from Garifuna parentage so I believe that it is important for us to teach them especially their language and some of the cultures and belief of the Garinagu People."

"They were all excited about this morning because when they came in earlier they were getting the class ready so we had to send them upstairs and some of them were not too happy about going upstairs because they heard music playing downstairs so they wanted to come and be apart."

And while the preschoolers were kept busy learning about the Garinagu culture, we shifted over to the infant two classroom where the girls were lining up to participate in the cultural touchstone, Leela Vernon's "Dance to the Rhythm of The Bruk Down"

Their teacher told us about the things they had on display which represents the Creole culture

Chenwa Kisling, Teacher, Wesley Lower School
"So this year we have been given a different ethnic group for each level in Infant two we are doing Creole culture."

"Different food we have musical instruments as well as different things that we would use back in the old days such as the kerosene lamps, the kerosene stove and so forth."

"I really believe that throughout the years the culture has been dying and we went from a drastic 75% creole in Belize to a low number of 25% so I believe that it is right that we showcase the Creole culture just to bring back the culture you know."

And after, we visited a few more classrooms where other cultural items, including clothing and food were on display, for the Mestizo, Maya, East Indian and Chinese. We ended our tour with a few words from the principal about the importance of keeping the culture alive in classrooms

Natalie Phillips, Principal, Wesley School
"Well at Wesley Lower school we go all out for children's day, cultural day today we did cultural day, tomorrow we have children's day going on well actually today is where the children, each child from each level picks a different culture we had infant 1 doing the mestizo's, infant 2 creole's, standard 1 maya's, standard 2 did the East Indians, and standard 3 did the Chinese, while the pre school did the Garifuna. We try to split up all these cultures, what was some of the challenges that we've found this year, is that the cultural outfit attire was really expensive but other than that the parents still supporting us in all the way and that's why we had today to display."

"Well I think it goes a little bit deeper than what we teach in the classroom. It allows them to physically see what they don't see, especially the kids that will get to travel so they see a little bit more of what culture has to entail and they Partake in that also."

Reporter:
"So how do you think the children feel when they hear children day and cultural day coming up."

Natalie Phillips, Principal, Wesley School
"Well they are all excited like I told you, we separated them we could not put them together because it was a compacted day, tomorrow is children's day where our teachers will go all out and they would be, the infant 1 everything is free when it comes to children's day for us we, everything is given back to the students."

A total of 72 students are enrolled at the preschool, while over 300 students are enrolled at the lower school.