Lake Champlain Waldorf School hosted a Naturalization Ceremony on Wednesday, November 20, during which 16 people living in Vermont became new Americans.
Before the ceremony, many gathered together to listen to one of our high school seniors play piano and were offered assistance with the process of obtaining a U.S. Passport.
As part of the school’s social justice and civics curriculum, students in grades 6-8 have spent the fall studying immigration through novels, poetry, and discussion of current events.
The preparation for this event included participation in the Kids Vermont Good Citizens Challenge, in which students earn points by demonstrating their interest in being good citizens of their communities, their state, their country, and their world.
The students’ study of citizenship and immigration inspired Lake Champlain Waldorf School to apply to host the ceremony. “The Naturalization Ceremony is the final step in a long application process to become a United States citizen, and we are very honored to be part of this moment in the lives of our fellow Vermonters,” commented teacher Abigail Diehl-Noble.
Francois Clemmons, who played Officer Clemmons on the PBS television series Mister Roger’s Neighborhood from 1968 to 1993.
In keeping with its focus on world cultures, social justice, and arts, the school organized a program featuring a Vermont artist known for his social activism and work to preserve African American spirituals. François Clemmons, singer, actor, playwright and Emeritus Artist in Residence at Middlebury College, sang the national anthem, “America the Beautiful,” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”
The LCWS Middle and High School Chorus sang “In Meeting We Are Blessed,” a choral piece composed for the Nairobi Chamber Chorus to illustrate the power of peace.
The seventh and eighth graders had a special role in the Naturalization Ceremony; they recited “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus. In their studies this fall the students have explored the phrase “world-wide welcome” on the Statue of Liberty, what it might mean to new Americans, and how we can live out the promise of these words today.
The fifth and sixth graders crafted for each new citizen a small handmade gift, and the halls were decorated with welcome signs in the languages of the countries from which the new citizens emigrated: Philippines, Nepal, Brazil, Bhutan, United Kingdom, Belarus, Russia, Syria, and Ecuador.
Students lined the halls, waving and cheering as new citizens exited the building.
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WCAX aired the story on November 20, 2019. Watch the coverage by clicking the image above.
Visit our YouTube channel for videos of the event.