Students, teachers and families filled the gym at Sand Springs Elementary recently for the school’s first-ever Hispanic Heritage Assembly.- a celebration of culture, language and community.
The event, organized by sixth-grade teacher James Tomsik, featured traditional dances, music, student speeches and a parade of flags representing countries across Latin America and Spain.
Tomsik, whose parents are from Mexico, said the idea came from similar events he helped organize at a previous school.
“When I came to Sand Springs, I thought, ‘This is a Spanish immersion school — we’ve never done a Hispanic Heritage assembly?’” Tomsik said. “I started planning it on my own, but soon our immersion teachers stepped in and said, ‘This is our culture too, we’d love to help.’ Everyone was so supportive.”
Students in first through third grade performed La Raspa, a traditional Mexican folk dance, while older students shared short presentations about their family heritage. Teachers also spoke about their home countries and traditions — from making Spanish potato omelets to sharing the differences between Peruvian and Mexican ceviche. Flags from Mexico, Spain, Chile, Peru, El Salvador, Venezuela, Bolivia and Argentina waved proudly as students paraded through the gym.
For Tomsik, the goal was about more than just celebration — it was about connection.
“The more aware people become of different cultures, the better we understand who we are and where we come from,” he said. “It was heartwarming to see everyone clapping, dancing and cheering for each other.”
Around 90 students and 10 teachers participated in the event, which ended with everyone joining together to sing La Bamba and dance to the Macarena.
Tomsik hopes to make the assembly an annual tradition — and to expand it further.
“Next, I’d love to host assemblies for Native American, Asian American Pacific Islander and Black history celebrations,” Tomsik said. “Events like this remind us that we’re all connected — and that learning about each other brings us closer together.”
