Green Acres School Visit

If you are one of those educators who loves the energy and enthusiasm of middle school students, then you probably cannot imagine a finer way to begin the day than with a middle school assembly. How exciting for us to begin our visit at Green Acres School with an opportunity to bring the stories of life with the Samburu to their fifth through eighth grades. After watching Steven begin most of our presentations with a brief traditional dance and chant and listening to the gasps and other expressions of awe and wonderment, I almost could not contain my excitement that the Green Acres teacher and photographer caught him in mid-air.

I think this picture could serve as a metaphor for the day. It stems from the kind of excitement we felt at being in a day-long celebration. From the youngest to the oldest children, the attention and enthusiasm remained palpable throughout. The market proved, yet again, to be an enormous hit with the first grade. We could have dressed up and continued learning about Samburu culture for a very long time. We ended the day with an assembly for the kindergatren through fourth graders which, despite what prevailing wisdom might say, just kept the excitement flowing. One of the teachers remarked to us afterward that she had not seen the students remain so enraptured.

For me, reflecting on the experience of the visits at all of the schools during this last week and a half, the best moments have come as we walk the hallways and sidewalks. Almost without fail, a student will greet Steven, shyly or exuberantly, as if he were the most special person in the world. It becomes clear, in that moment, what an impact the visits have had in the lives of children.

Laurel

Photos:

"Map," Laurel Seid
"Dance," Victor Stekoll
"Hands," Laurel Seid