Books, Books, Books!

The other day an interesting thing happened in class. My kids were quiet, settled and content for like 20 minutes straight!!!  I kept glancing over my shoulder, quietly checking for respirations as they are NEVER this quiet. I bet you are wondering what's the secret. Nope, I didn't drug them with benadryl to make them drowsy, although there are days when the thought runs through my mind.  The secret 'medicine' is BOOKS!

Yes, she is doing a happy dance because she gets to go to the reading corner!

 This would have never happened 5 months ago when I first met this lively bunch. You see, most have no books at home, and have never been read to, and many of the parents are illiterate. So, when we started our daily storytime it was a pretty big deal. Slowly over the months these kids have grown to love 'reading'.  They always beg for another story and often the promise of a 2nd story is enough to make the group settle down quick, fast and in a hurry. Access to diverse learning opportunities, books, quality education, etc is essential to bridging the achievement gap between low income youth in this country and everywhere!

I'm excited about a project started by two friends, Rebecca and Josh, to create a community library in a nearby city of San Francisco de Macoris. I started this post a few days ago and just have not gotten around to posting it. After a rough day in class today, where my kindergartners were restless and not focused, do you know what saved the day? Yep, I had 6 books in my bag, and I passed those out to the ones who had finished their worksheet and were starting to become disruptive. Before I knew it, the other kids were settled down, working hard, finishing and asking for a book to read. I almost laughed out loud. I had threatened taking away the Valentine's day party, loosing recess, calling parents, etc, etc (yes, this imitation teacher was tired), and all it took was pulling out a book. Wow! So, I knew I needed to finish this post. These kids and kids everywhere need to have the access to reading material to develop their vocabulary, expand their horizons, build critical thinking skills and to get them excited about learning to read and education in general!

So, to learn more about this amazing project that is on the way to build a community library click on this link. I hope you may even feel generous to share $5, $15, or $500 to support this special project.

Don't leave the page without clicking this link --->   Adopt a Reader, a Teacher, a Library!

God Provides Food to Eat

I hit the ground running a week ago yesterday. After a quick reunion with friends and family here, I jumped right back into kindergarten classes. One of our challenges and goals for the new year is finding more ways to integrate the word of God into our classes. January started the lesson on FOOD!  Our kids are having fun learning the difference between fruits and vegetables and chapel last week centered on the creation, specifically day 3 when God created fruits and vegetables (Genesis 1:3). We used that as a springboard to a fruit tasting.  The kids enjoyed sampling fruits and expanding their vocabulary with new descriptors like sabrosa, jugosa, crujiente, gustosa and the lists goes on. We celebrated the warm weather of this island that permits certain fruits to grow here that are not available in other countries like the US. One of my favorite new fruits is guanabana, aka soursop.

I was introduced to this fruit on my first trip to the DR almost a year ago. I remember the laughs as we all tried to pronounce guanabana. I still smile as I think about Vicki and her attempts to say that word. So, I will break it down... gwa - na - ba - na,  say it again ... gwa - na - ba - na. My host dad makes a really yummy juice with gwa - na- ba - na.

Who created fruit?? GOD!! and vegetables?? GOD! We give praise to God for the food that he provides for us.  During the week, our science and social studies classes have centered on fruits and vegetables, with each lesson providing an opportunity to remember how God provides for us.

What a powerful lesson for these little ones to learn, that God is our provider. I looked out at the faces and thought about some of the really hard family situations, where families are struggling to provide food and clothes. I landed on one little face, who more than likely was squirming in her seat, giving love 'taps' to a friend or any other mischievous behavior. Our cook describes her as "the smallest little girl who eats a lot".  Her mom came to school the other day. "Is it true?" she asked, referring to a conversation the principal had with her husband the day before. "Yes, it's true."

We decided that this little one NEEDS to stay with us all day. See, her family took her out of the all day program which includes lunch, because they couldn't afford the extra $150 pesos a week ($3). We had noticed, that this little one was coming to school hungrier than ever and a few afternoons she actually showed back up on the school steps 3 hours later because there was no food at home. You see, often the way that God provides for others is by using us, you and I, to be the hands and feet of Christ. Can you imagine the relief on this mom's face to know that the youngest of her 3 children, is now receiving breakfast and lunch daily. Yes, God does provide!