School Marks Cinco de Mayo With Fiesta

Shirley Avenue Elementary School celebrated Cinco de Mayo Wednesday with a big, festive event that included lots of music, dancing and food.

Nearly 600 students, teachers and parents participated in the afternoon fiesta commemorating the Mexican army’s victory against French forces in the 1862 Battle of Puebla.

Some kids giggled and clapped, while others tapped their feet to the music blaring from large speakers.

“This is really fun,” said second-grader Ronald Renderos. “It’s my favorite day at school.”

Dressed in a bright red costume, Ronald and about 30 classmates performed a traditional Mexican-Indian dance that featured long, colorful ribbons and fast-paced moves.

There were seven other dance performances in the hourlong show on the school’s playground.

The area was decorated by parents with bright ribbons and flags from several Latin American countries, including Venezuela, Peru, Honduras, Cuba and Mexico.

“This is so good for the kids to learn about the Mexican culture,” said Jose Ayala as he watched his daughter, Maritza, dance to “La Raspa,” a popular Mexican tune, with her kindergarten class. “I have an older daughter who goes to another school and they don’t do anything like this.”

Ceasar Gaytan, a second-grade teacher, has organized the Cinco de Mayo celebrations for the last four years in an effort to get students and parents involved.

“It’s very valuable for the kids,” Gaytan said. “It’s a great opportunity for them to learn about Cinco de Mayo and the Mexican struggle, which really is a struggle that applies to everybody.”