
Music
and
dance
are
in
the
air
in
celebration
of
Hispanic
Heritage
Month.
Students
at
Marumsco
Hills
and
Mary
Williams
Elementary
Schools
are
learning
traditional
dances
from
Hispanic
countries.
Darianella
Baret,
elementary
English
to
speakers
of
other
languages
(ESOL)
teacher,
shares
her
love
of
salsa
dancing
by
introducing
her
students
to
the
queen
of
salsa,
Celia
Cruz.
Baret,
a
former
ESOL
student
herself,
became
a
teacher
because
of
the
impact
her
ESOL
teacher
had
on
her
as
a
student.
"Here
at
Marumsco
Hills
more
than
half
of
our
student
population
comes
from
a
Hispanic
background"
shares
Baret.
"I
think
it's
very
important
that
they
see
people
who
look
like
them,
speak
like
them,
and
act
like
them
being
celebrated."
At
Mary
Williams
Elementary,
teachers
from
abroad
shared
traditional
dances
from
their
countries
with
the
students.
Gabriela
Rodriguez
is
a
Participate
Learning
teacher
from
Mexico
with
roots
in
the
Dominican
Republic,
where
bachata
originated.
Rodriguez
led
the
students
in
a
bachata
dance
lesson,
while
Leticia
Paladines,
a
Participate
Learning
teacher
from
Ecuador,
taught
pasacalle,
a
folk
dance
from
her
country.
"For
my
students
here
at
Mary
Williams
Elementary,
it's
important
to
know
that
outside
of
the
United
States
there
are
many
people
that
have
culture,
that
have
a
lot
of
heritage
and
stories
that
they
can
learn
from,"
said
Paladines.
Participate
Learning
is
a
global
education
program
that
connects
educators
from
abroad
with
teaching
opportunities
in
the
United
States.
Rodriguez
has
found
the
Participate
program
beneficial.
"I
can
come
here
and
share
my
experience,
but
mostly
learn
about
the
different
techniques
and
strategies
of
these
amazing
teachers
that
you
have
here
in
Prince
William
County,"
she
shared.