Family research culminates with ethnic fair at Gilbert

WINSTED — Family history has become a hot topic at The Gilbert School in the last few weeks, with nearly 50 students conducting research on their own family and ethnic group’s immigration experience to America. On Oct. 10, the students will display their findings during an ethnic fair. This is the fifth year that Gilbert has held the ethnic fair. More students are participating this year than in any previous year.

Coordinated between junior history and interdisciplinary English classes, students have been studying early immigration. Several students even took a trip to Ellis Island to see where their forefathers first entered the United States.

“They are learning what the experience was like for these early immigrants to leave their life at home and pick up a new one here in America,� said English teacher Debra Poirier.

Poirier said the students spent a great deal of time researching their family trees and interviewing family members. Some of the students learned a great deal of information about their relatives, of whom they had no prior knowledge.

During the ethnic fair — which will be open to students, parents and school staff — participating students will be dressed in cultural attire, serving traditional food and hosting a booth to exhibit their ethnic understanding, representing their nationality and family.

“In the past it has worked really well,� said Poirier, who said she is looking forward to this year’s fair and sampling the food prepared by her students.

“It’s nice to see how all of this ties into the melting pot or tossed salad metaphor as it is today,� said Poirier.