La Tomatina

Señora Carson is making Spanish come alive through hands-on, interactive activities that help students experience culture, not just read about it. At MSSM, whether it's STEM or Humanities, students learn by doing, not just listening to lectures.

One recent lesson turned the classroom into a playful version of La Tomatina, Spain’s world-famous tomato-throwing festival. Instead of real tomatoes, students tossed stress balls and bright red socks across the room.

What is La Tomatina?

• Held every August in the town of Buñol, Spain
• Tens of thousands of people gather to throw overripe tomatoes in a massive, friendly food fight
• It began in the 1940s and has grown into an international celebration of fun, community, and tradition

By recreating this event, students not only learned about Spanish culture but also connected language to lived experiences. This hands-on approach helps vocabulary and cultural lessons stick in a way that textbooks alone can’t.

Señora Carson’s Spanish class is about more than grammar and vocabulary—it’s about bringing the language and its traditions to life. Señora Carson is a native of Peru and has two daughters who graduated from MSSM.