CHS Blog

Hello, Hola, Olá, Bonjour, 你好, 안녕하세요 (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, and Korean)!  We have a very special tradition here at Christian Heritage School that takes place every spring in the 4th grade.  Each student chooses one country of ancestral or adoptive descent on which to create their Heritage Report.  This assignment integrates three important class subjects: Social Studies, Writing, and Reading.  It enhances our Social Studies discussion on immigration to America and helps develop research skills, organize a report with specific requirements, and write an informational piece.  We also integrate reading with the novel Letters From Rifka, which is about a Jewish girl immigrating to America in 1919.  It’s a joy to celebrate our individual heritage as families at CHS and in this country!

Each week, students write one paragraph, revise, edit and bring it to presentation form using research materials from our school library, their local libraries, as well as websites.  Each student researches their country’s location and size, natural features, climate, capital and government, culture, and history, as well as their own family’s immigration story. They also create a photo section, landform map, political map, world map, a recipe of food from their country (cooked and brought to the Heritage Fair), a hand-drawn flag of their country, and prepare a short presentation.   

All this work is later compiled and presented at the Fourth Grade Heritage Fair, and we celebrate with food native to the students' heritage country, a presentation, and a time to view each child’s project where they excitedly display their newly found knowledge of their heritage country. The families join us in the cafeteria and enjoy the rich diversity and cultures represented, sampling delicious international flavors and foods; each of us truly Comes to the Table (this year’s chapel theme).  Every year, the Marketing department compiles a collection of the students' recipes into a cookbook to celebrate their respective countries. This cookbook is provided for each student as a cherished keepsake and a lasting memory.

We look forward to this wonderful project each year.  It is truly a blessing to see a bit of the world here in the cafeteria at CHS.  The Lord tells us in His Word that every nation, tribe, people and language will gather before His throne and the Lamb.  This Heritage Fair is a beautiful representation of this and shows the uniqueness of the Body of Christ.  

“The heritage project was a great experience for me to get to know my fellow classmates by tasting their country’s food and hearing fun facts about where they came from. My country of heritage was Switzerland, and my grandma helped me make a Swiss Apple Pie. It was difficult but rewarding to try a new Swiss food. She also showed me some pictures of where my great-great grandmother lived in Switzerland and this brought us closer together. Overall, the project was fun, challenging, and special.”  Paige Taylor -5th grade student

We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about His power and His mighty wonders. 
Psalm 78:4.

Mrs. Elizabeth Pelaccia is one of our fourth grade teachers.  This is her third year teaching at CHS.  She received her BS in Elementary Education from Messiah University.  She enjoys spending time with her family and her adorable chocolate lab, walking on the beach, gardening, farming, and hiking.  She looks forward to hatching ducklings and chicks in her classroom each year.  “I am so blessed to be part of this CHS family.”