GUILDERLAND — The sound of African drum beats rumbled down the hall of Seneca House Friday morning. The walls were covered with colorful flags of different countries. Long tables were laden with foods, made in Guilderland kitchens from recipes that came from around the world.
"E Pluribus Unum" said letters permanently stenciled on the wall: "Out of many, one."

Seneca House is the newest of four schools within Farnsworth Middle School, each with a Native American name. The new house was built as part of a $20 million expansion and renovation project, opening this fall.

On Friday, the day before winter break, students celebrated their diversity in an event that the house principal, Amy Tubbs, said may become an annual affair.

Each student made a flag that represented his or her family’s country of origin. Each also brought in food native to that country.
"I didn’t realize how far back some kids have to go to find their heritage," said Tubbs. "They’re learning about history and culture and where their families came from."
She went on, "It’s good for kids to talk to their parents and ask, ‘Where did Grandma come from"’" The "Diversity Celebration," she said, has inspired family conversations that otherwise might not have taken place.

In addition to students’ discovering more about their own heritage, Tubbs said, the event is a way to learn about and respect others’ traditions and cultures.
"Guilderland is becoming a more diverse community," said Tubbs of the largely white, middle-class suburban town. "Kids need to share the richness of it."
She went on, "Especially at the middle-school level, kids might say racially or ethnically derogatory things. This is a way to get them to appreciate differences," she said of the celebration; such appreciation is to stem the slurs.
Gesturing the length of the hallway, which took in a flurry of activities and foods, Tubbs concluded, "The kids did it all."
"We’re all here in America"

Desks were moved aside in double rooms, so that dances from different countries could be demonstrated.

In one room, an Asian woman in a bright yellow, polka-dotted skirt deconstructed the flamenco, so students could see the different movements that make up the Spanish dance with Flemish roots.

She clicked the castanets on her right hand, describing the high sound as female. Then she clicked the castanets on her left hand, describing the low sound as male. Finally, she put the two together, slowly at first, so the distinct sounds could be heard, then, faster and faster she clicked in a staccato, cascading rhythm.

She was followed by a band of girls performing a Macedonian dance.

The dance, said a bright-eyed, brown-haired girl with silver spangles girdling her hips, would be performed before or during a wedding. The girls clapped as one, and then joined hands and moved with grace in an undulating line.

In another room, a lively trio — two boys and a girl — performed a calypso dance from Antigua.

The trio then got the crowd of watching students to their feet to join in a Conga line that circled the room. At first, one or two students had to be coaxed from the sidelines. One of the trio — the girl, in a cap with a necktie over her shirt — pulled a friend from the crowd. Another of the trio — a boy in a Stetson, also with a necktie over an untucked shirt — did likewise. Soon, most of the kids in the room had joined in the dance; so had some of the adults.
"I’m glad I’m not a teacher," commented the mother of one of the students. "I’d kill ’em all," she said with a laugh, as the energy level in the room rose with the music.

Seventh-grader Casey Cole, who watched from the sidelines, carefully noted what she was witnessing in a pamphlet that she and the other students carried with them. The paper had flags of different countries, and spaces to write what had been observed and learned.

Cole said she was enjoying the day.
"I’ve learned about different countries and different things they do, but we’re all here in America"It’s really kind of cool," she said.

Out in the hallway, as the rhythms from students playing the circle of African drums continued to punctuate the conversation, kids chatted over the food tables as they sampled what each other had brought.

One mother, of Turkish heritage, noted that desserts dominated. She had wanted to bake spanikopita, she said, but her daughter told her no one would want to eat spinach, so she instead made baklava , a dessert of paper-thin layers of pastry, chopped nuts, and honey.

Eighth-grader Jenna Lewanda brought in Jewish challah bread that her family sometimes eats for Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, a day of rest, holiness, and joy.

Brooke McCullen, a sixth-grader, brought in Irish soda bread that her family has at parties, she said.

Chelsea Donnelly, who has been McCullen’s friend since third grade, shares her Irish heritage.

Both girls were enthusiastic about the diversity celebration.
"You get to watch people dance, and eat food," said McCullen.
"It’s just fun," said Donnelly.