Students Learn Ethnic Lessons at Mardi Gras

Nicholas Maechler, 11, slowly rubbed Vaseline over Casey O’Toole’s face. Once Casey’s face was greased up, Nicholas began applying small, wet strips of plaster of Paris.

“Yuck, it’s so gooey,” said Nicholas as he placed the plaster over Casey’s cheeks.

The two youngsters were among 38 sixth-graders at Our Lady of the Assumption School in Ventura who celebrated Mardi Gras on Tuesday by eating Cajun food, making masks, playing games and wearing bead necklaces.

“It’s my way to teach children about where I come from,” said teacher Carole Martin, a native of New Orleans. “It’s also a way for them to learn about other cultures.”

Martin said she puts together the celebration every year--always on Fat Tuesday--as part of her family life program in which students learn about each other’s ethnic background.

The ethnic backgrounds in Martin’s class include Filipino, Mexican, Danish, Irish, French, English and Portuguese. Between now and the end of the school year, students will research their family history and make a presentation to the class.

The celebration Tuesday began with a video about Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Afterward, students gathered in the cafeteria, which had been decorated with green, gold and red banners.

Martin and about 18 parents served the youngsters a lunch of spicy chicken soup, rice and red beans with sausage.

Afterward, students played a game in which they chose the king and queen of the Mardi Gras. Known as the “King Cake” game, each student had a piece of cinnamon cake.

Whoever got the piece with a small plastic baby doll automatically was the king or queen--there was one cake for girls and one for boys.

“It’s fun to be the king because you get to do everything before everybody else,” said A.J. Pateras, 11, who got to be king.

The last and most popular part of the program was making masks. After being assigned a partner, the youngsters put on black plastic bags to protect their uniforms and then applied the messy plaster strips.

It will take about a week for the masks to dry and be ready for painting, Martin said.

In about two weeks, students will take the masks home.

“I can’t wait to have my mask,” said Casey O’Toole, adding that his 16-year-old brother has one he made in Martin’s class five years ago. “I’ve tried my brother’s mask many times. Now it’s my turn to have one.”