No Passport Needed Here SMITHFIELD-- Johnston County Schools recently hosted an event that celebrated the division's cultural diversity and doubled as a learning opportunity for new teachers. The Beginning Teacher Institute, a monthly conference that addresses the needs of the early teacher, sponsored a learning celebration in the form of a festival at West Smithfield Elementary School that featured a comprehensive approach to multicultural education. The festival highlighted 10 countries utilizing the services of the 36 VIF teachers currently employed in the system. VIF--Visiting International Faculty-- is a program designated by the U.S. government as an Exchange Program Sponsor. VIF teachers are matched with select primary and secondary U.S. schools, and provide teachers and schools unparalleled support for classroom success with a new, more global perspective. The multicultural event showcased interactive and engaging talents as well as diversity in the classroom. The countries represented at the event were Argentina, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Canada, Australia, Colombia, South Africa, Peru, and Venezuela. Mexico was also represented by student cultural ambassadors and the Spanish teacher from Clayton Middle School. Donna White, Johnston County Board of Education member, said the experience was one of the "most motivating" assemblies she had attended since she was elected to the school board. Patricia Hester, Executive Director of Staff Development, added that the district is proud of the cultural expertise available to the Johnston County classrooms through the VIF staff. Each country's representative focused on the cross-cultural relationship building opportunities that are available in each of our schools. Visitors from the VIF program in Chapel Hill and Durham also attended. Featured were dancers from Costa Rica, jerk chicken from Jamaica, a slide show from Argentina, and multiple hands-on artifacts from foreign lands. The countries and their representatives included: Argentina * Lorena Otrera, Patricia Almandoz, Carola Figueroa Australia * Christine Schmidt, Nicole Wittman, Sheridan Leversha, Katie Stringer Canada * Andrea Blick, Michael Hall, Columbia * Patricia Ardila, Lina Calle, Hilda Gaitan, Jorge Cordoba, Claudia Ramirez, Zulay Colmenares, Laura Helena Gomez, Ingrid Nunez, Adriana Yepes, Edelberto Alba Costa Rica * Nyree Foos, Cynthia Chaves, Natalia Fonseca, Randal Blanco, Ana Barrantes Jamaica * Natalie Constantine, Barbara McIntosh, Garfield Baker, Latoya Baker, Cecelia Samuels Mexico * Sherrill Pugh (Spanish Teacher from Panama), Ana Penaloza (student) El Salvador * Mayra Martinez (student) Puerto Rico * Jordan Garriga (student) Peru * Carolina Ynga South Africa * Leigh Shearer, Cynthia Khumalo, Yvette DuPlesis Venezuela * Edgar Moreno The Beginning Teacher Institute, offered through the Professional Development Department, is a monthly conference that offers a comprehensive series of enrichment activities for teachers new to the teaching profession. Sessions focus on the needs of the beginning teachers and have included or will include future sessions on Inclusion in the Classroom, Best Practices, Classroom Management, Discipline with Dignity, Cooperative Learning and Total Quality Education Principles.
