More Good News

From our friends at the West Seattle blog, news I had to print from Roxhill Elementary:
Last Thursday, November 10th, Roxhill fourth graders were treated to a Living Voices performance of Native Vision. Lisa Gladstone, a Blackfoot Indian from Browning, Montana did a remarkable job of engaging our students in the story of Alice, a Navajo girl sent to a government run boarding school in the 30’s and 40’s. Alice became a nurse in the Pacific during World War ll, struggling to keep true to her native culture in a changing world. Before the performance, Roxhill students had read about and discussed how native children fared in the boarding schools and had also learned about the contributions of the Navajo Code Talkers. Their rapt attention during the performance and perceptive questions afterward spoke to how valuable this performance was in enhancing their knowledge of a very complex subject.
I am writing to you because this performance was a gift to Roxhill, a gift from the PTSA of a neighboring West Seattle school, Schmitz Park. With more than 80% of our students on free and reduced lunch, Roxhill does not have the resources to pay for performances of this type. The Schmitz Park PTSA paid for the Living Voices performance at their school and gifted us with an additional performance. We at Roxhill would like to acknowledge this generous gift and applaud the Schmitz Park PTSA members for their dedication to the educational welfare of Seattle children who live beyond the boundaries of their own school.
We are deeply appreciative,
Pat Bliquez
Roxhill Teacher/Librarian

Carmela Dellino
Roxhill Principal
Thank you to Schmitz Park PTSA who stepped up for a neighbor school.  It was one event for one day but what a difference it probably made in the lessons being taught in class by bringing it alive.  And, the lesson we learn about the kindness of strangers. 

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thank you Schmitz Park! Beautiful move.

I often feel like people only care about their own children, own school, own country...

This is what needs to happen regularly all over this city, state, country, world...

It's moving that Schmitz Park PTA was thoughtful beyond their borders. I hope it starts a trend.

Incidentally I got to see the performance at Vios cafe last week. It tells the story of the horribly abusive boarding schools that Native children were forced to attend in this country and not too long ago. Its not something spoken of much and it should be.

-forallchildren
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said…
And that, my friends, is why West Seattle ROCKS!

Cornell West likes to say "Justice is what Love looks like in Public."

The Schmitzers just proved his theory! WSDWG
Maureen said…
This is great! I think the SCPTSA should encourage all of their member schools to follow Schmitz Park's lead on this! (And the Ed Directors should encourage their principals to do the same.)

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