How many grade school students have the opportunity to travel around the world?  Well, the students of Spoede Elementary School in the Ladue School District were recently given that chance.  Spoede’s annual Passport Night was on Friday, February 1^st.  Passport Night is a unique tradition at Spoede where families host booths that represent different countries from around the globe.  At the start of the evening, students are given passports as they begin their world adventure.  Students travel from country to country, and enjoy facts, photos, and traditional items from each host country.  Many booth sponsors also provide travelers a sample of the local cuisine.  Then, before departing for the next nation, students have their passport stamped showing which countries they visited during their travels.  The goal is to have a full passport by the end of the evening!

This year, 30 countries were represented from 5 different continents.  Many of the host-families created booths that represented their own country of origin, while others paid tribute to their ancestors’ country of origin.  Many hosts spoke the native language, and greeted travelers in their native tongue.  Participants were encouraged to wear traditional dress, which made the night even more festive!  

Passport Night is yet another way that Spoede is able to further the prolonged commitment to teaching students about celebrating cultural diversity.  This was a fun and exciting way for Spoede students to learn more about countries from around the world.