What’s your definition of family? Although the dictionary has different definitions of family, the meaning of the word is special to the individual. The Orchard Families Project was designed as a way to build connections and celebrate the families we have in our Orchard community. The project is very simple, what does family mean to you? We asked some families to answer very simple and fun questions that explain what makes their family unique. We hope you will take the time to get to learn more about the families that make up our community. After all, we are all a part of the Orchard family! 

 

 

The Cruz family includes Nelson, Mercedes, Ari, and Asher. This is their first year at The Orchard School and they are very excited to join the community. Ari is a member of the Arnold/Lange Kindergarten classroom, and Asher has joined Multiage as a Deer in the Bradley/Lapworth-Kuehl classroom. 

 

For the Cruz’s, family means an ultimate support system and a team that can take on any obstacle together. As a multicultural family, they like to incorporate aspects of both their Dominican and Jewish backgrounds into their lives. They look to highlight the differences in cultures, “in order to instill pride regarding our special and unique diversity.” The Cruz family started their own tradition of getting together with friends and family on a weekly basis to enjoy each other’s company. They call this new tradition Pizza Friday and Ari and Asher look forward to it every week! They celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah, and make sure the kids know they are extra lucky because they get presents on both holidays. They love lighting the candles on the menorah and hanging lights on the Christmas tree. Ari and Asher really love doing both activities. 

 

What makes the Cruz family the Cruz family is their different backgrounds, but their bond and close knit family is what makes their family extra special. They pride themselves on being inclusive and open minded. Nelson and Mercedes hope Ari and Asher will carry their family values as they continue to grow. 

 

Thank you, Cruz family, for sharing your family with the Orchard community!