Multi-cultural / Multi-lingual TCIS

TCIS is an international school serving children with diverse backgrounds and unique stories. It is always fascinating to sit with students and hear about the places they have lived and the cultural experiences they bring with them.

Beginning with International Mother Tongue Day, TCIS held a substantial celebration of the richly-diverse cultures and languages in our community.

This two-week event saw many opportunities for community members to share about where they come from and the cultures they have connected with. Students shared their language and stories in weekly Assemblies. We shared multi-language singing in chapels. Homeroom groups spent quite a bit of time sharing stories and cultures with each other. After sharing, middle school homerooms engaged in a House Competition Event to research, create, and present exhibits on some of the cultures represented in their groups. (Be sure to see the photos.)

It was a great way to help the community understand each other better, and doing so, to become closer.

It is important to note that this wasn't only a focus on our foreign student/faculty population but on all cultures. With many students having Korean-ethnic connections, it can be easy to make assumptions in general – but one would likely be surprised at the cultural experiences and backgrounds represented in these young faces.

As "TCIS strives to cultivate internationally-minded learners who lead in purposeful change," it is essential that students understand and appreciate each other for the cultures and mixture of cultures around them. It helps the daily work of learning and community and teaches open-mindedness and cultural foundations for lifelong learning.