Fort Hunt sixth grader Elizabeth Hutchison was looking forward to principal Thomas Fitzpatrick’s soda bread. With her family also representing Ireland, she planned to bring some herself, as well as some shamrock decorations, to the elementary school’s second annual Dance Around the World winter festival.

“I think it’s really fun and very interesting if people have friends from different cultures,” said Hutchison.

For years, said organizer and Fort Hunt parent Karin Kulinski, the school has hosted a winter dance of sorts. The event has taken different forms, from jump-rope contests and various fundraisers to chili cookoff and barn dances.

“But not every family makes a pot of chili,” she said.

Last year when Kulinski took over organizing the winter dance, she decided to put more of an international spin on it and engage more of the school’s population by celebrating everyone’s ethnic heritage.

“I love the diversity of Fort Hunt; it’s the main reason my family chooses to go to this school,” said Kulinksi. ”That’s what I want my children exposed to, what I want people to be aware of. We have people from all over the world and we want to make sure everyone feels a part of the school.”

According to Fitzpatrick, Fort Hunt is about half Caucasian, one-quarter Hispanic and one-quarter African-American. Within the non-Caucasian populations, there’s a wide spectrum from El Salvador, Mexico and Spain to Liberia, Ghana and Ethiopia.

“Being a Spanish immersion school,” he said, “We get to see it from all different angles.” In all, Fitzpatrick estimates over 50 countries are represented.

Last year, Dance Around the World featured a potluck international food buffet, scavenger hunt where students fill fake passports with signatures from students and parents of different countries and heritages, crafting, dance lessons, an interactive international DJ and large continent maps on the wall for families to mark where they’re from.

With more than 350 in attendance in 2014, Kulinski planned to bring everything back for 2015.

“This event is different because we’re not just having a DJ playing the latest songs,” said Kulinski’s sixth grade daughter Katrina, “but having cultural music and foods. It’s not a normal school day but still a learning experience.”

“The DJ would play different music, and we have to guess where singer was from,” said sixth grader Ryan Coneway. “One time he played Justin Bieber: Is he from Canada, Europe, North America, England or Ireland?”

To bring more of the Fort Hunt community into the building, Kulinski, Fitzpatrick and PTA president and Spanish teacher Allison Verich went out two weeks before the dance and personally invited families with Fort Hunt students living at the Creekside Village apartments complex.

“You can’t just put a flyer in a folder,” said Kulinski. “We wanted to let them know this event exists, it’s fun and we’d love to have you there. The reception was great.”

At this year’s Dance Around the World, held Feb. 6, more than 450 students and parents attended.

“Sometimes in our area diversity is seen as a challenge, not a reward,” said Fitzpatrick. “This year, we’ve really done a good job of showing how we do all learn to be compassionate, appreciate, understand different people. It isn’t seen as a negative, but a positive.”