National Hispanic Heritage Month

September 23, 2022

Thaden Families,

September has been a forge for freedom across the Americas for more than two centuries. Last week, while we were honoring the 235^th anniversary of our finely tempered charter of liberty, the United States Constitution, many members of our community were also celebrating the 212^th anniversary of El Grito de Independencia (also known as The Cry of Dolores), when Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church bell and gave the call to arms that started the Mexican War of Independence on September 16, 1810. Freedom would soon ring again in Central America as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua declared their independence from Spain on September 15, 1821.

In this historical context, we can see why September 15 also marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month in honor of the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and progress of the United States. One of our nation’s most vibrant celebrations will be held in Fayetteville on September 25, the Northwest Arkansas Hispanic Heritage Festival. We will extend the celebration on our campus with a performance of Mariachi Joya Azteca on October 6. In the meantime, many of our faculty are using their advisories to engage students in conversations and questions of Hispanic culture and identity. Here, for example, is Katherine King’s framework for guiding such a discussion with links to additional resources that families might find helpful at home.

As the year progresses, we will find many other opportunities to celebrate and recognize the multicultural heritage of our school community through culinary offerings, library selections, academic programs, and special events. The next step is to create a multicultural calendar in consultation with our Student Council and our Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). If you have any suggestions or interest in supporting the development of this calendar, please feel free to contact me as chair of the DEI committee or my colleague, Tyler Elliott, who oversees the work of our Upper School Student Council.

Together we celebrate the many cultures of our community!

Clayton K. Marsh

Founding Head of School  

P.S. Congratulations to the extended Rios family on this month’s recognition of Yeyo’s in The New York Times as one of America’s 50 best restaurants. We are so proud to have your family as part of our school community.