United Nations Day was just an uncelebrated holiday on the calendar before we moved to China from the USA. Now that my kids are studying at an international school (SCIS Hongqiao) it’s a big holiday. On Friday, as part of the celebration, all the kids wore costumes or colors from their home country’s flag. It was a beautiful sight. The SCIS marching band wowed us with their musical and marching skills and the outdoor assembly was filled with songs performed by various grades in our school. The weather was perfect for the outdoor assembly and the diversity of our school made me proud.

We returned to the school on Saturday for the SCIS International Food Fair. My family of four did its part and ate Israeli, Turkish, Danish, Finnish, Korean, and of course out of loyalty to the home country, American food. The money raised from ticket and raffle sales will be donated to charity, which made it an even more meaningful event.

I think the international school experience helps reinforce the values so important to me and my husband. We want our kids to be respectful, informed and appreciative of the different cultures and traditions throughout the world. Living in China is an obvious way to help broaden their minds and experiences.Being at a school with so much diversity provides all of us with an even richer experience while living in Shanghai.