Everyone Comes from Somewhere

C.T. Koontz Intermediate's Heritage Night celebrated family culture with an engaging evening of exploration.

Pictured: Two women stand near the Colombia table at C.T. Koontz Intermediate's Heritage Night.

Koontz students share a percussion piece on the stage.

Article/Photos By: Benjamin Rickert, Communications Dept.

Everyone comes from somewhere. That was the idea behind Heritage Night at Charles T. Koontz Intermediate School, when families celebrated the many cultures within their walls with an engaging evening of global exploration.

The aroma of delicious homemade meals filled the air, and the sounds of singing, dancing, and instruments reverberated from the gymnasium. Visitors toured the seven continents, each assigned their own corridor of the school. Within each continent area, display tables represented specific countries, filling the school with storytelling, traditional clothing, artwork, and tasty treats.

“We have such a rich multitude of cultures here in Asheville,” said sixth grade language arts and social studies teacher Ms. DeLana Parker, now in her seventh year at Koontz. “This evening reaches out to who we are as human beings and welcomes us- it invites us to bring what makes us the human beings we are and share it.”

A Koontz student draws at a cultural display table.

Parker stood alongside Ms. Lizzie Draper, the school’s parent liaison. The two explained that the PTO and the school events team primarily planned the evening’s logistics, but it was the families that made the evening so memorable. As guests arrived, some wore colorful clothing and unveiled trays of traditional foods to share. As they toured the globe, they were able to experience places they had never been, make new friends, and feel part of something bigger.

“It's good to learn about each other,” Draper said. “It teaches us to have more compassion and empathy toward one another. It brings us all together as a community and makes us family.”

Students spent the whole school day excited for their families to visit, and to share important parts of their identities with friends. Students created thoughtful art projects to help articulate their thoughts on identity, family culture, and ancestry. Most students included the ideas of family, religion, and friends somewhere on their artwork.

Students point at their Heritage Night artwork.

“It has a watercolor head, and it has black hair- my style of hair,” said sixth-grader Maddie, pointing at her own artwork. “I included things that I like and places I’ve come from.”

The words Georgia, Maryland, and Asheville were written on her paper.

“I drew my family, my religion, and my dogs,” added Mclean about his own piece hanging on the bricks.

Ms. Draper was born and raised in the Asheville area and observed that Western North Carolina’s diversity had increased substantially in her lifetime.

“The community has expanded to include people from many states, nations, and cultures- and I find that change exciting,” she said. “Tonight's event helps us all feel connected to our school. I saw a lot of happiness and good times.”

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