UNIVERSAL CITY : Kids’ Olympics Aids Cultural Knowledge

In a fitting end to its yearlong effort to build understanding of different cultures, a North Hollywood private school held its second annual “Mini Olympics” Friday.

To the delight of their parents, about 150 kindergarten- to sixth-grade students from the Country School marched with the flags of various nations, competed in races and sang “We Are the World” at North Weddington Park in Universal City.

“This was the culmination of our study of different cultures and countries,” said Lois Horn, assistant head of the school.

Students spent the year studying the customs of Greece, China, Kenya, Mexico as well as the Cajun and American Indian cultures closer to home.

After sweating through athletic events that included a tug-of-war, sack race and obstacle course, each student was rewarded with a gold or silver medal, depending on which team they were on. This year, the red team won the gold.

For many, such as Barbara Williams of Burbank, mother of fourth-grader Amanda, the event capped a productive year.

“There are many other places in the world that have made contributions--artistically and culturally--that we don’t study a lot in this country,” Williams said.