Milestones Charter School

Milestones Charter School and Pre-school hosted its annual Multi-cultural and Diversity Day on Friday, February 27th. This year’s theme was Tribes and highlighted the indigenous people of the world. Each classroom from Pre-k through 8th studied a specific tribe over the last month and on Tribes Day showcased their cross-curricular knowledge by presenting multidimensional, interactive and multi-media displays.

The day began gathered as a school in the gymnasium and featured performances of a hula dance from Hawaii and a French song and traditional dance from the 2nd grade classrooms. Next, Tribal Dancers shared a high impact show. Students from all grades volunteered to participate in dance numbers that represented myriad cultures including Native Americans, Aborigines, Russian, African, Latin American and East Indian. The costumes were indicative of the people of that region and the dances were mesmerizing.

Following the introduction, classes began their exploration of the various tribes by visiting all of the rooms. Each display provided a unique format for discovering so much about the people and the civilizations. Students had the opportunity to learn about the experience of Native American tribes in the Southwest as well as the Sioux and the Cherokee. They discovered ancient civilization from the Greeks, Incas and Mayans. Hawaii and the Inuit people were covered. The way of life of the Australian Aborigines included musical instruments.

The Pre-K classrooms honored India with parents displaying traditional clothing, adornments and maps representing the states and languages. During the week leading up to Tribes Day,  the 4th grade began a school wide Recycle-A-Thon to raise money and awareness in order to preserve an acre of land in the Amazon Rainforest for the Yanomami tribe.

Children spent the morning exploring Tribes of the World through geography, art, language, history, music, dance, song, folktales, stories and a community action project resulting in a deeper appreciation for cultural awareness at Milestones and throughout the world. These students realize the interdependence of our modern life relies on the preservation of these ancient people and their way of life.

Milestones Charter School and Pre-school, located at Tatum Blvd. and Robert E. Lee in Phoenix, was established in 1999. Milestones currently serves the needs of over 300 families and is immensely proud of the community they have created.