Good evening families,

This week, I want to thank our community for the incredible series of celebrations at BOTH campuses. We witnessed the collaborative capacity of our pueblo as they achieved a worthy tribute to our countries and ancestors.

In particular, I want to thank Julieta Mendoza and her entire family for their tireless work in helping us celebrate Día de los Muertos. Please join me in acknowledging the hours of sacrifice required to set up the altars at Oyster and at Adams with so much care!

At Adams, we closed the month with kilos of Latin American food in the Adams courtyard where our students shared their research. Over 100 families came to the celebration, and some students even visited embassies to request materials for their presentations. The faculty led Hispanic Heritage celebration committee made the project possible, and we are deeply grateful to their commitment to global citizenship among our students.

At Oyster, we closed our month with an incredible concert in honor of Celia Cruz, Violeta Parra, and even a feminist version of Arroz con Leche: "I want to sing to a companion who believes in herself and is willing to fight for rights... Brave yes, submissive never..." The audience (and this principal) were deeply moved. Congratulations to Sr. Salvador for a beautiful show!

Finally, tonight we celebrated La Noche! Infinite thanks to the entire OCC team who worked for several weeks to ensure the success of the party. Thanks to their efforts, we saw the vibrant, living demonstration of diverse cultures and ethnicities within Latin America on stage. I want to give a special thank you to all the families and staff who stayed behind to help our concierges clean up the space. Those small gestures make a huge difference!

With gratitude for a beautiful month together,

Carolina Brito