Humphreys West Elementary Honors Chuseok Holiday

Humphreys West Elementary School celebrated the Korean holiday of Chuseok through cultural experiences, wearing traditional Hanboks, and learning about how and why Koreans celebrate Chuseok.

“Chuseok is about families coming together and celebrating their history, generosity, and prosperity,” said Ms. Susan Magowan-Black, HWES psychologist. “This is embraced by our school community through classroom celebrations, including dress, stories, food, and games.”

Several grade levels participated in cultural activities throughout the week including traditional Korean foods, clothing, crafts, and games. Teachers and students wore hanboks in celebration of Chuseok. Chuseok is known as Korean Thanksgiving: Koreans typically return to their ancestral hometowns to celebrate the fall harvest with family and friends. Families also honor their ancestors by visiting and tidying ancestral graves and holding memorial services.

“We always want to honor cultures and celebrate our diversity,” said Mr. Edgar Romero. “It is especially heartening to honor our host nation by learning about one of their most important holidays, Chuseok. We have many families, friends, staff members who will be celebrating this weekend, and it is a joy to see students learning about the country they currently call home.”

Joining in and embracing host nation culture allows students to build an understanding of others and find commonalities in various heritages

^{Humphreys West Elementary School teachers show their appreciation of Korean culture by wearing traditional hanboks, September 27, 2023}

^{Fourth Grade student Emma Abraham works on making a Korean lantern as part of the fourth grade’s cultural experiences, HWES, September 28, 2023}

^{Students in Mrs. Yu’s Kindergarten class wore traditional hanboks throughout the week to show appreciation for the beautiful, traditional clothing of Korea, September 28, 2023.}

^{Fourth grade students rotated to different classes to experience various Korean culture activities like playing Yut Nori, September 28, 2023}