Dozens of cultures are represented at this one Henrico elementary school

GLEN ALLEN, Va. — There's one school in Henrico County that is proof of America being a melting pot.

"We have 38 languages [here]," said Colonial Trail Elementary School Principal Kevin Schatz. “We have cultural perspectives from all over the world. Religions from all over the world. And our kids truly believe and understand, and our staff believes that inclusivity is our strength. Our power. It's what makes us special as a school."

"We're finding out about how people are being inclusive. And how it brings a feeling of home and belonging," said fifth-grader Advaith Atulasimha.

WTVR

That's exactly what teacher Kiara Samuels will tell you too. She has kids representing 12 different countries in her class.

"They have taught me a lot," said Samuels. “When we learned about honoring and tradition. My kids are from various places like Egypt and India. We have kids that speak French, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi."

Students of all backgrounds are learning about the whole wide world… from each other.

Fifth-grader Siddharth Kaparthi said, "I have a friend from Japan and he taught me 'hello' means 'konnichiwa.'"

Building a knowledge of cultures, is Building Better Minds.