Laton families gathered Tuesday in the Laton Elementary School/Conejo cafeteria to view student created altars in honor of the deceased. The exhibit is an annual event for the Laton Unified School District -- put on by the kindergarten through eighth-grade dual immersion program that emphasizes an education that is both bilingual and multicultural. Tuesday's commemoration of El Dia De Los Muertos -- The Day Of The Dead -- featured what the program's students have learned.

El Dia De Los Muertos is traditionally a day in the Hispanic culture to set up an altar of momentos and favorite items of a loved one that has passed away and wait excitedly for that loved one to return for a visit. Instead of the American Halloween of trick-or-treating and costumes, this time of year is a festive celebration.

"It's supposed to be a happy day," said Rigo Sandoval, the Laton teacher who heads the dual immersion program at Conejo Middle School. "It's totally the opposite of Halloween."

Traditionally, the altars contain candles to illuminate so that the dead loved one can find their way back, food and water for the long trip and favorite possessions. The altars that the Laton students made for Tuesday's commemoration contained all of the traditional items but were not made in honor of their own loved ones who had passed away.

Sandoval aimed to stay away from personal tragedy and focus on education with this activity, so he gave the students a theme of researching and making an altar for someone well-known who was born in California and has since passed away. Students made altars for actor Gregory Peck, football coach Bill Walsh and outdoor photographer Ansel Adams, among others.

One group of students made an altar for Bruce Lee, which displayed his love of his family and his hatred of unhealthy food. Gaby Martinez, who was among the group of students, said she is quite familiar with El Dia De Los Muertos because her family commemorates the day at home.

"It's almost like this but in a bigger version," Martinez said of her home commemoration, where they pray for and welcome back relatives who have passed away.

The 13-year-old was born in Mexico and moved to the United States when she was 1. She has been bilingual for almost all of her life. But projects like this one help Martinez to stay in touch with her heritage, she said.

Martinez said her mom doesn't like her to dress-up for Halloween and go trick-or-treating -- though she sometimes does, just for fun -- because, to her family, this time of year will always mean El Dia De Los Muertos.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2424.

(Oct. 29, 2008)