Tonight, the local stories project....Two classes of third and fourth graders and B's school presented a project that they had been working on four months. The invited everyone they knew, family, friends and community. It was a combinations of art and theater and community storytellers. The classes heard local stories in their classrooms from members of the community about the history of our town and Marsh (Stories matter people!) They visited places and saw artifacts. They made journals from what inspired them. They acted out the stories on stage and they created a huge mural from their own drawings which will adorn the walls of the brand new school for years and years to come. Wow. what an amazing experience (there are no words) for this group of students and teachers. This is what school should be. And my girl, who immediately took the hands of her two best friends and had the time of her life up there (with not a single ounce of "special" support mind you....) did amazing. What an amazing, rich, school experience with this collaborative, kind, supportive community. Love our schools.. They all are, all the kids are, cheering for her, helping her, telling her how smart she is, and getting to know her, because she is there, in class with them, in gym with them, on the bus with them, experiencing the SAME rich and diverse curriculum with them. She is THERE, doing it. Inclusion, Inclusion, INCLUSION for the win. Best.year.ever. I'll end with a quote (loving Kelle Hampton's perspective these days).
Continue to choose kindness. Turn the wrench right with us. This world
needs more love right now, and paying it forward, looking out for
someone else, doing the right thing never goes out of style. When
I wake up in bed at night and think about that second grade classroom,
that high school cafeteria, that work place lunchroom, I’d love to know
that it will be filled with kindness and acceptance—kids who will sit
with her and ask her about that dance she went to—the one they know
about because they sat with her the day before and heard about it.
Students who will lean over and help her find that page, friends who
will come over and hang out, teams that will cheer for her when she
runs, employees who will take the extra time in training, graduating
classmates who will clap and holler her name when she crosses the stage
and takes her diploma. We create this kind, celebrative, supportive
community for our children with every opportunity we are given to be the
change.
(Kelle....you are not there yet, but the change, it's happening!)
