Potluck & Celebrating our Ancestors!

Posted September 22, 2025

Dear Bear Valley Families our our Multilingual Learners,

We warmly invite you to join us for a special evening of celebration, culture, and community during Fall Family Conferences on:

📅 Thursday, October 9
 Conferences 4:30–7:00 pm | Potluck & Celebration 6:00–7:00 pm
 Bear Valley Middle School

Our ELD students have been working diligently on projects about their family traditions and cultural celebrations. This fall, we are excited to unveil our schoolwide Ofrenda, which will remain on display through mid-November in connection with Día de los Muertos.

🌸 Honoring Traditions Across Cultures
While Día de los Muertos is widely celebrated in Mexico and Latin America, many cultures have similar traditions of remembering and honoring loved ones. For example, in Vietnam families observe Tết Trung Nguyên (August) and Tết Thanh Minh (April), both of which honor ancestors with offerings, food, and family gatherings. Our celebration at Bear Valley is meant to bring together all of these traditions in a spirit of unity and remembrance.

✨ What to Expect from 6–7 pm:

  • Community Potluck – Please bring a dish that represents your culture to share. (A sign-up sheet will be available ahead of time to help us organize food and supplies.)
    Click HERE if you plan on bringing a dish to share. You can call the main office to have us enter it on your behalf if you are unable to open the document.
  • Ofrenda Decorating – Families are welcome to bring scanned photos of loved ones to include. 
  • Games & Crafts – Fun activities for students and families will be provided!
  • Culture Presentations – Students will share their writing and projects about traditions old and new.

This evening is an opportunity to celebrate our students’ work, learn from one another, and strengthen our Bear Valley community. We hope you will join us in sharing food, stories, and traditions together!

Lastly, this is the Interpreter sign up form for any family that needs an interpreter during the teacher visit time! Please take advantage of this free support! 

Warmly,
Chelsea Light
ELD Teacher, Bear Valley Middle School