Roberto Clemente Middle School (RCMS) in Germantown hosted its first-ever Fiesta Latina on Tuesday, October 8th, and by all accounts, the event was a huge success. The all-day celebration brought together students, staff, and community members to honor Hispanic Heritage Month with music, learning, and schoolwide excitement.
“It was amazing,” said RCMS counselor and event organizer Lindsey Parra. “The energy was incredible all day. So many students were asking if we’ll do it again next year, we even had students running after the musical guests as they were leaving!”
The event featured lively musical performances during all grade-level lunches, intimate Q&A sessions with special guests, and engaging classroom activities centered around Hispanic heritage. The entire RCMS community, more than 900 students and every staff member, participated in some way, from cultural lessons and activity choice boards to interactive discussions.
Musical guests included Chipelo and Crew with dancer Leyla Mendez, El Saxofonista, DRXZ, Kang, and RCMS students Johanna and Andrea Sophia. Student emcees Sol and Milena led the event, in both English and Spanish, helping set the tone for an inclusive and joyful celebration.
Special guests and community partners also joined the festivities, including Carolina Turcios-Sorto from Montgomery College; representatives from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Montgomery County, Carmen Rojas, Mynor Herrera, Mauricio Vásquez, and Sandra Pacheco; Angelica Rengifo from Montgomery County Public Libraries; Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe; and Board of Education Member Grace Rivera-Oven.
Classrooms throughout the building buzzed with themed activities. Even Principal Mr. Brown got in on the fun, teaching a lesson on the history of the Chesapeake Bay and its influence on daily life, tying into the school’s upcoming Outdoor Education trip to Edgewater, Maryland.
Parra confirmed the school plans to make Fiesta Latina an annual tradition. “This will definitely become an annual event,” she said. “Students and staff are already brainstorming similar celebrations for other months, like Black History Month.”
Roberto Clemente Middle School continues to foster a vibrant, inclusive environment through events like this. Along with the upcoming Holiday Mall (returning this season) and its monthly cultural celebrations, RCMS remains dedicated to honoring the diversity that defines its community, and its namesake.
