During the last two weeks of October, the Lower School students were invited to come to Señora Santiago-Cordero's classroom to learn and celebrate the Mexican celebration called Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. This 3,000 year old tradition made popular in recent years by the Disney animated movie, Coco, is a celebration of loved ones who have passed away, believing that they will never truly die because the love for that person will live on forever. Displayed in her classroom, an example of an ofrendas (small altar with photos of the loved ones), the students learn about the happy get-togethers that families have to remember their loved ones.

This the fourth year that the Lower School students have worked with Santiago-Cordero to learn about this tradition, each time ending with craft activities like making paper flowers and masks, and playing games like "skull bean bag toss." Singing along to the Coco soundtrack playing in the background, the Lower School students enjoy all the different activities and are helped along by The Priory Upper School students from the Spanish I and II classes who are in charge of running the games. "I always look forward to the last two weeks of October because I know we are going to have fun with Upper School and Lower School students, playing games, doing crafts and learning one of the interesting traditions of our Mexican neighbors," Santiago-Cordero says.