The students of Washington Montessori Public Charter School have been learning about world cultures and customs during the 2013-2014 academic year. Friday, was the culmination of that project as they presented it to their family and friends at the annual Kidsfest.

Nine different countries were on display, and the kindergarten class sang international songs. The students from ages 6 to 13 chose a country to learn about, and each class voted with their classmates on which country they would study.

Head of School Jen Hales said, “the kindergarten students looked at the entire globe and become familiar with where the continents are.”

Each class chose a classmate to carry a flag of the respective country they were learning about. Students also had to draw maps of the country with not only cities listed, but the topography as well.  The classes also had to make food that represents the chosen country as well.

“The kids are so proud of their projects, and many of these projects take months to finish,” Hales said. “It is also a time to come together and celebrate all the hard work they have done.”

Cortni Lilley and Austin Andrew’s class learned about the United Kingdom and sang Beatles and Rolling Stones songs, while also making tea and scones.

The middle school students learned about Jamaica, and created their own version of a Jamaican puppet.

Joe Vick, who is a student at Washington Montessori said, “it has been great learning about the countries and doing the projects.”

Also during the course of the projects, the students also celebrated holidays that are not in the United States. The children not only research their portion of the project, but the school also had guest speakers to discuss their knowledge about a country.

Michele Rhem, who choreographed the dance presentations, taught the kids dancing native to the countries they were learning about.

She said, “kids everywhere like to dance, and we try to do historical or traditional to celebrate that country.”