Previous Story
International Thanksgiving at SIS draws over 500 participants
As the morning of Nov. 23 came to a close at Saipan International School, over 500 people gathered under the flags of 25-plus nations to celebrate Thanksgiving the SIS way—with an international feast.
“It was amazing to see all the ethnic groups come together and hear all the languages at the feast. It was like the United Nations—so beautiful and filled with harmony and acceptance of each other,” said Mili Saiki, the SIS business manager and heart of SIS.
The school provided the traditional Thanksgiving fare of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries and more desserts than could fit on the table. But it didn’t stop there. Each ethnic group in the school proudly served the students and their guests their favorite foods.
“International Thanksgiving has been a tradition at SIS for more than 20 years,” said SIS Headmaster Dr. Ron Snyder. “We celebrate Education Week and Thanksgiving by putting the students at the center of the day. Parents host the booths for the entire community but we open the tables starting with our youngest students and finishing with the adults. I would like to give a very special thanks to all of our parent volunteers who showcased their home countries and made the day so amazing.”
“Today was a beautiful gathering of all cultures and nationalities represented at this truly international school,” said Guy Pudney, chairman of the SIS board of directors.
Students, teachers, families, guests and the As Lito community surrounding the school all had the chance to sample pastel de papa and pollo ala brasa from Peru, arroz hunto from Puerto Rico, hojaldras pastry from Columbia, zhao zi (dumplings) and king crab from China and Taiwan, samosa from India, fish curry from Sri Lanka, chilled coconut juice and shrimp kelaguen from the Pacific Islands, Korean BBQ pork wrapped with lettuce (Korea) accompanied with boonsik, lechon belly and turon from the Philippines, papaya salad and pad Thai from Thailand, takoyaki and potato roke from Japan, grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, French crepes, Polish gulabki, Russian bliki, and much, much more. This was truly a feast fit for a Gecko! (PR)
