Classroom Commotion: a zealous 1st grader

The first day of his kindergarten year, Nelo approached me in the amphitheater and began telling me all about his past weekend. Nelo and I were complete strangers at that point last year. I was shocked at the tenacious joy this young kid had to have to walk up to me, a totally new face in a new place, and share a little bit of his life with me. Now, he is one quarter into his first grade year and one of my most enthusiastic art students. Every project example or little piece of art that I bring to class he always comments, “Mrs. Kerrie, that is beauuutiful.” He sure knows how to make my art teacher heart sing.

In the mornings before staff prayer I am usually in my office behind the amphitheater organizing paperwork or supplies for the day’s classes. The other day, Nelo once again snuck up on me and appeared next to my desk. We exchanged “Good mornings” (this time in English) and he proceeded to tell me about how he drew some pictures over the weekend, then pulled out a toy train from his backpack and continued telling me about his train. (If you haven’t picked up on it by now, you’ll notice that Nelo likes to talk). I mentioned to him that sometimes it is good practice to draw objects that we have in front of us, and maybe he could draw his train or other toys sometime. Well, wouldn't you know it, the very next morning before our flag assembly Nelo comes to find me again and hands me a drawing of his train that he did the night before. “For you!” he said. Now my heart is not only singing, but melting.

Classroom Commotion: Fuimos a la frontera

 

As mentioned a few weeks ago, our senior class went to Dajabon, DR to participate in the Border of Lights commemoration of the 1937 massacre at the river that divides the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Our afternoon was spent in the parque central setting up a display of postcards with an artwork on one side and a space for writing on the other. On the black side people in the community were asked to write down any thing they knew about the massacre or any opinions they had on the history of the relationship between the two countries.

The Doulos Seniors jumped right in and began dialogues with the Dajabon passerby's. Some students even found their way into a local school and ended up talking with a couple classes about the massacre, others visited with the many merchants that sell goods around the park or shine shoes, and still others talked with people that had lived there all their lives and knew very personally about what happened in 1937. The afternoon ended with a conversation between all the participants about the complexities of retelling of history.

In the evening, we gathered again, with velas and walked to the river. Many more people attended this part of the day-- most from the Dajabon community. A few commemorators had candles on the other side of the river in Haiti and we could see their lights faintly across the waters.

Classroom Commotion: Vamos a la frontera

Preparense for a lot of links...

Tomorrow I am accompanying the senior class to la frontera con Haiti. Our destination is the town of Dajabon. We are going to participate in a peace walk and remembrance vigil as part of the Border of Lights commemoration of the 1937 massacre of Haitians on this border.

For more information, you can visit the link for the Border of Light collective and events. And for those that are interested in more political and cultural history about the atrocity we are commemorating, you can read this concise article written by Michele Wucker, and/or read here at the Border of Lights website.

Please pray for our small group of students and staff as we engage with the people gathering in this community-- pray that we would carry as our banner the Light of Christ as Redeemer and Peace-giver; pray for safety in travel as the infrastructure here is never easily traversed; pray that we can, with others and amongst ourselves, engage in meaningful dialogue about what reconciliation looks like with such long-running racism and how we as Christians can participate in bringing the Kingdom here and now through living in the Grace and Love of Christ.