St. Finbar Parish School Celebrates International Day

St. Finbar Parish School marked its annual International Day on Tuesday, bringing together students, families, and faculty to celebrate the cultural traditions that make up the Burbank Catholic school’s community.

The event, a long-running tradition at the school on Frederic Street, drew families from across Burbank to share food, performances, and stories rooted in their heritage. Students dressed in traditional clothing, performed for their classmates, and sat down together for a communal lunch featuring dishes from around the world.

The day opened with a morning assembly that featured student performances spanning singing, dancing, martial arts, prayer, and other cultural demonstrations. Some families joined their children on stage. The format gives students a choice: represent their own background or present a culture they have studied and want to share with their school.

Later in the afternoon, the campus hosted an International Potluck Lunch, where families brought dishes that reflect their heritage. The potluck has become a centerpiece of the event, turning the school into something closer to a neighborhood block party than a standard school day.

Principal Rosselle Azar said the event captures something essential about the school’s identity.

“International Day is one of the most joyful celebrations of the year because it reflects who we are as a school community,” Azar said. “Our students take pride in sharing their cultures, and it is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to learn from one another and celebrate the diversity that strengthens our school.”

PTO President Joseph Mancuso echoed that sentiment, pointing to the depth of what families contribute.

“Our families bring such incredible traditions, stories, and flavors to this day,” Mancuso said. “International Day truly shows the heart of our community in which parents, students, teachers, and staff come together to celebrate the cultures that make St. Finbar so special.”

Burbank has long been a more culturally diverse city than its suburban reputation sometimes suggests. The school’s enrollment reflects that reality. On International Day, a student might be performing a Korean fan dance in the same assembly where a classmate demonstrates a Brazilian martial art and another leads a traditional prayer. The lineup changes every year depending on who shows up and what they want to share.

That flexibility is part of what keeps the tradition fresh. There is no fixed script, and students are not assigned a culture based on their last name or family background. The choice is theirs, which means the performances reflect genuine enthusiasm rather than obligation.

For newer families, International Day often serves as an introduction to the wider school community. Potlucks have a way of breaking down the barriers that can keep parents from connecting during the regular school year. Sharing food from your grandmother’s kitchen with a group of strangers is a different kind of introduction than a back-to-school night.

For the longtime St. Finbar families, the day carries its own kind of continuity. Kids who sat in the audience years ago now perform on stage. Parents who once dropped off a single dish have become the ones organizing and encouraging new families to participate.

St. Finbar Parish School operates under the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and serves students from preschool through eighth grade. The school’s enrollment draws from neighborhoods across Burbank, and International Day reflects the geographic and cultural range of that community.

Events like this one rarely make headlines the way a city council vote or a major development project does. But for the families who spent Tuesday afternoon on that campus, passing plates and watching their kids take the stage, it was the most Burbank thing that happened this week. A neighborhood school doing what neighborhood schools do best: giving people a reason to show up together.