Dia de los Muertos special at Valley Vista

Several area schools celebrated Dia de los Muertos, but few could match the color of the Valley Vista School display or the zeal of the students.

Each student in the fourth-, fifth- and sixthgrades and some in the younger grades contributed their own special altar to a truly spectacular and colorful display.

The celebration was part of Valley Vista’s international emphasis that includes Spanish language instruction in every grade and the school’s preparation to become an International Baccalaureate School.

Each student dedicated his or her altar to someone special who had died. The choices ranged from family members to pets, even a gold fish.

According to Principal Catina Haugen, not only was the display “eye-popping,” it also led to age-appropriate discussions about death.

Valley Vista sixth-graders led the project and on the day it was put together, each student carried his or her altar to an area already decorated by the older students.