When walking the hallways of Stonewall Jackson Elementary during recent weeks, you immediately noticed that gone were the blue lockers and plain white walls. In their place were amazing floor-to-ceiling displays of extremely detailed artwork and elaborate decorations, which virtually transformed the school into another country - India.  This unique school tradition; in which a culture or country is studied in-depth, celebrated its 32nd year at the beloved neighborhood school. The annual tradition was culminated on a recent Friday, when students and their families, most of whom donned festive Indian dress, were invited for a day-long opportunity to share in the learning and spectacle that is called “Special Events”- India.

Since September, Art teacher Cheri Flynn has tirelessly coordinated committees of teachers, parents and students to make India come alive with color and imagination. Additionally, the teachers supplemented the learning curriculum with many lessons about India.  Earlier in the week, many parents read Indian folklore to classes in the Library, while other parents prepared Indian dishes for students to sample.  Several guest speakers also shared their knowledge about the country, including information about its large film industry known as “Bollywood”.

Upon entering the school you were greeted by very knowledgeable tour guides comprised of fifth grade students. They led you down the main hallway of the school which was divided into sections and themes for each grade.  The Kindergarten section was devoted to the villages and markets of India.  It featured a huge three-dimensional food stand and depicted India’s many homes made from straw and mud or bamboo. First grade was assigned the elaborate festivals of India: Elephant festival, Holi festival and Diwali.   Their walls featured a procession of enormous elephants whose trunks and tusks were adorned with ornate beadwork, fabric and fringes. Second grade was assigned the study of India’s animal habitats.  They created a wonderful student art gallery wall of the many exotic animals found in the country.  Third grade studied the magnificent Taj Mahal, which was painstakingly illustrated by Ms. Flynn.  Fourth grade concentrated on India’s diverse geography, including the Ganges River and the Himalayas.   Fifth grade focused on the many different religions of India as well as the beautiful architecture of their mosques and shrines.  They created a stunning Buddha offertory.  Lastly, the Deaf Education students created a huge map of India displaying the geography and wildly different climates. They also studied the over 18 languages recognized in India. 

After the tours, an elaborate Indian luncheon, catered by a Stonewall student’s family, was served in the cafeteria. The room was beautifully adorned with tall orchids and colorful Indian textiles and was overflowing with families enjoying the unusual dishes.  The menu featured traditional Indian fare consisting of flatbread with spicy chutney, curried chicken kabobs, seasoned Basmati rice, sprouting mung beans with fennel and ginger, and deep fried milk pastries with honey yogurt dip.  Even picky grade school eaters tried most of the food and seemed to enjoy it!

Students were entertained with exciting yoga demonstrations from Bikram Yoga instructors and Hare Krishna dancers.  Students also brought money to spend in an authentic Indian marketplace, which was created in the school gym.  Many students favorite purchase was the “henna designs” drawn on the children’s hands by Indian artists.  Many of the boys requested a “cobra” drawing instead of the more elaborate motifs.

Each class selected a representative to model Indian clothing in a school Fashion show.  The children were chosen based on his or her daily good example of the DISD Pillars of Character.  Girls wore exquisite sarees and beading as well as ornamental jewelry.  The boys dressed in shirts called a “dhoti” or “kurta”, many with colorful sashes and pajama-type pants called “suthan”.   Other students came to school dressed as the exotic animals of India such as the tiger, elephant, cobra, and the peacock.  Mr. Bert Hart, Assistant Principal, said he had never seen such great teacher and student participation in dressing for the event.  He commented that while wearing his authentic Indian “sherwani” coat and large turban, “I got a lot of strange looks from drivers on Mockingbird during morning carpool”.

Ms. Flynn, in her 15th year orchestrating this spectacular Stonewall event, traveled abroad extensively during her youth.  She explained that the experiences helped her interpret the featured country each year.  Ms. Flynn added, “While Special Events is a lot of work for many people, it is a gift to the children from the parents, teachers and community. Special Events week takes the kids visually to places they may never get to go, and the children always remember what they learned visually.”