It was finally Monday, February 3rd … I had looked forward to this day, it had been two months since I had not seen my kids, my little people. It felt like an eternity without them! It was only my co-workers and me at the school’s building. It felt really lonely to be there all day long, even when we had each other’s company. Because for me what makes the school’s environment feel alive is having the group of little people there. I was very excited to see them again, having them back at school gave me an enormous feeling of happiness. With them returned the smiles that are not feigned, the good mornings that are given with hugs, with honest hugs! And all the little things that make your soul smile. They were back, the school year had begun, inspiration was back!
Although, I am not working with any grade this year, it is always exciting to see the kids around, once in a while I walk up from my office to the classrooms or the playground to see my little friends. It is exciting to see the enthusiasm that the kids have for learning, especially the first graders they are anxious to learn how to read. They make the school feel alive, with their smiles and laughter, it even seems like the flowers have started to bloom with their arrival. Each morning the kids come with a shiny smile. Which makes the school’s environment feel great! The kids have come with a positive attitude this 2020. They have a newfound goal of practicing their English more than last year and it is motivating and funny to see them switching from Spanish to English when they see adults around. The kids seem to be excited to be back as we, the adults, are about having them at school. It gives us a feeling that I have no words to describe, to see them hanging out in their little groups, the laughter, smiles and conversations they let slip out, makes me wish I was back to my days of childhood. Their happiness was contagious, and it was easily transferred to us.
Teachers have come back to school eager to guide their little disciples towards good learning, creating engaging and interactive lessons. The different clubs that the kids are involved in at school have begun. Beginning with the Lego robotics team, it has more people now than it did last year. Kids are yearning to learn about it, they spend time after class practicing and learning the abilities they need to work the challenge out. It is always encouraging to see them giving up their play time to learn.
With celebrating the Honduran ethnicities, they reminded me about things I take for granted about my culture, like forgetting to practice all traditions about my specific culture, like dressing and foods. They brought and shared different foods and drinks that different ethnic groups in our country have. They had also prepared information to share about each group. It was thrilling to see them enthusiastically talking amongst each other about our diverse and regional-based cultures.
They had sports day! They got to play a soccer match against another local school and how cool was it that both of our bilingual school teams, were the winners. If you are a soccer lover, then you enjoy listening afterwards to their detailed stories about the strategies they used to win the game. “I have my knees all scratched from falling on the ground as I saved a goal from being scored,” said Emely – the goalkeeper on the female team. You’d probably enjoy that anecdote even if you are not a soccer fan. And once again the desire of winning has started, the desire of winning through learning, as we reintroduced the reading contest this year.
As I write this, remembering the beginning of the school year, sitting on my house’s old couch, I keep telling myself that we will see each other again, and we will unite in a hug from which we will not want to let go. And so I will then have back those 8 hours long days in which, I will wish each second lasts forever.
