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Ephesus Elementary PTA also funds and organizes the International Festival, one of the most popular <br /> events of the school year. Students in each grade spend several weeks learning about the geography, <br /> traditions, culture, arts and people of a different country and then put together a display. Students <br /> have a "passport"that gets stamped with each country they"visit" as they learn from the other grades' <br /> displays. That evening the parents are invited to see the displays as the students dance, perform and <br /> sing songs from the countries they have studied. A potluck dinner featuring international cuisine is <br /> served for ail to enjoy. <br /> PROPOSED USES OF GRANTS FUNDS <br /> The Ephesus PTA Cultural Enrichment Committee proposes to use the grant to partially fund the artist's <br /> fees for two performances during the 2012-2013 school year: <br /> Ballet Folklorico Mexico: <br /> Founded in 1972,the Ballet Folkorico Mexico has been recognized as one of the most exciting groups <br /> presenting authentic regional dances of Mexico. The group of 5 performers will present information in <br /> English and Spanish about the region's culture,folklore, rituals and costuming. The show is interactive <br /> as students and teachers are brought onstage to learn a dance. <br /> 16%of Ephesus students identify themselves as Latino and 17%speak English as a second language. <br /> While our English as a Second Language program focuses on increasing English proficiency, students are <br /> encouraged to continue to honor and celebrate their language and culture at home and at school. This <br /> program will provide an in-school opportunity for Latino English Language Learners to experience a <br /> bilingual performance celebrating their language and heritage, and for the rest of the student <br /> popplation to develop an appreciation of their classmates' culture. <br /> Donna Washington:Storyteller <br /> Donna Washington is a vibrant dynamic storyteller that presents a wide range of tales from different <br /> cultures. Performing for over 20 years, Ms.Washington uses her incredible vocal pyrotechnics, dramatic <br /> facial expressions and dynamic personality to share her stories focusing on African and African-American <br /> folktoles. <br /> The Ephesus student population is racially and culturally diverse. Roughly 28%of the student <br /> popplation is African-American and this program will allow all students to learn about the cultures and <br /> traditions during February: African-American History Month. <br /> All performances will take place in the school gymnasium during the school day. Due to space <br /> considerations and developmental differences, each artist or group will perform two different shows. <br /> The first show will cater to the younger children (kindergarten to second grade) while the second show <br /> will be more appropriate for older students(grades 3-5). The racial composition of the audience will be <br />