Mansfield ISD Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 24

A Celebration of the District’s Cultures Many Nations, One District. M A Legacy High School journalism teacher was nationally recognized for his exemplary work in leading his school’s yearbook team. ansfield ISD is proud of its diversity, and celebrations of various cultures were recently held throughout the community. The Journalism Education Association (JEA) selected Leland Mallett as a 2017 Distinguished Yearbook Adviser. During the month of February, Mansfield ISD joined the nation in honoring the contributions of African- Americans in U.S. history. To commemorate Black History Month, Mansfield ISD schools participated in special programs, read-ins, performances and other creative events. A large celebration of the strength in the district’s diversity was held on Saturday, March 3. MISD’s annual Multicultural Festival showcased cultures represented within the student body and community. MISD Journalism Teacher Wins National Award JEA is the largest scholastic journalism organization for teachers and advisers. The award honors outstanding high school advisers for their excellent work from the previous year and throughout their careers. Community members were invited to read books by African-American authors at campus read-ins. Legacy High School’s yearbook, The Arena, has consecutively garnered top awards by prestigious organizations such as the National Scholastic Press Association and the Interscholastic League Press Conference. Mallett will be formally recognized, along with other award recipients, on April 14 at the National High School Journalism Convention in San Francisco. Attendees enjoyed traditional ethnic performances, arts and crafts, games from around the world, living museum presentations and culinary treats from 15 countries. Journalism, led by Mallett, is one of the largest extracurricular activities at Legacy High School. More than 100 different languages are spoken in the Mansfield ISD community. This is the sixth year the district held its free annual Multicultural Festival. Participants at the Japan station made different origami figures as a fun activity. The station representing Mexico featured balero, a game in which a player tries to catch a ball in a cup. Second-grader Jacoby Edwards was former President Barack Obama for a living wax museum. 22 Mansfield School & Family Students performed ethnic songs and dances at the Multicultural Festival. Mansfield School & Family 23