We did not know exactly what happened with
the evaluatios, I think I expected a kind message that would indicate that we were
educating children in a good way or at least a well done!, but we didn’t have
something like that.
Director asked for a meeting in
teacher’s hall and said that our school was between the 20 best schools of the
school district. The document that gave us did not say if we were the number 1 either the number 20. Nor said that topics we
should pay more attention in, there was only a phrase saying: school district
is pleased to announce that you are between the 20 best schools in the region.
I won't deny that I was
disappointed, while the Director was
happy because this implied a budget big enough for another 4 months, nobody talked about our children, or the
impact of this in their families. It was just a passing note that announced
that the school would open next year.
When I talked to Gaby to give her the
news, she said that evaluation was always the same, and there was only the
richness of the group and all our effort. Had children learned more with the
exam?, be thus, who cares?, seems that nobody was thinking about kids, actually
the program continue and we had to complete it. Evaluations were only a compass
of anguish for all of us and education permission to continue spending money on
everything except children.
The next activity in the calendar was
the celebration of Halloween, for a native Amerrican is a day of fun, candy and costumes,
but for foreigners is perhaps an example of the American verve.
Asked to children to do some questions to their parent about how
do they celebrate Halloween, and we would make a discussion about the topic. I
never expected that the result would be so interesting. Did you know that in
other countries there are cults to death?
In Mexico the
celebration coincides with the Halloween time, and held to the death with joy
and is reminiscent of the dead, it is somewhat between a party and the Memorial
Day in the United States, people going to the cemeteries and provide offerings
to those who left this world before.
In the India there is a celebration known
as Mahalaya which is a special tradition for those who profess Hinduism and
they remember the souls of beloved persones and adds wishes to this life,
especially calls for peace and health; While other regions of the India
celebrates Diwali which is known as the Festival of lights.
Halloween is celebrated in Ireland but
but the Festival adds a note of sweet in the shape of a cake of fruit which is
called Bambrack to which is inserted a muslin, which is a transparent fabric
and who finds it is lucky to the persons who find it in their cake because muslin
can predict their future.
Australia celebrates a Guy Fawkes Eve who is known also
as Mischief Night or Danger Night which is a night of mischief, during which
children wear costumes and ask for sweets from house to house, in addition
there is a organization of dance
festivals and costumes contests at schools.
In Spain is celebrated on 31 October
the "Magosto" mainly in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula and in
Catalonia is known as the Castanyada.
In Chile and the Colombia held the day
of all Saints which is a Catholic tradition in honour of all the Saints, known
and unknown in the modern world.
Children talked earnestly about each of
the cults and all exchanged details concerning each of the parties, as well
that of Mexico, Jose's parents sent me a sweet skull and a poem; Mita gave me a
candle by the celebration of light, Stephanie gave me a chestnut and Mike gave
me a traditional sweet of Australia. Megan and Carlos sang me a song that
speaks of a Saint who is called as I do.
I remember with a smile the panic that
I suffered when I could not pronounce the names of the children, but now I feel
lucky to meet other histories, cultures and traditions without buying a plane
ticket, because our activity add a search for videos of each of their countries
that speak about how every country celebrate the night of the dead, Halloween,
all saints, the truth is that it is just a great excuse to have fun.
Each child chose a costume, but I asked
not to purchased, and the creativity
arose so finely that I felt ashamed of my dog, Marshmallow-eared costume. Sure
my mother would have bought me something expensive that I would not enjoyed it,
but today I was child and learned that cultural differences do not exist when
the eyes are open and listening with the
heart.
Who really scared me of death was Gaby,
who offered to give me a ride and when she
arrived I saw her face and neck covered with blood, when I opened the door of her Prius, her look twisted my
stomach!. Gaby!, I swear I find who made you this!, but then she smile and he
gave me a bag with something that looked like vomit and said:
-I'll help to apply your make up and we
can go together to the party at home of ¡psychologist ‘s school, I’m sure is
going to be terrificly fun!
Trick or treating?
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