11-07-08

My fourth graders were not ready for yesterday's acto. We had been practicing a forensics-style presentation of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, complete with their hand drawn-placards of various creatures and scenes, and were close--the pronunciation getting better, the flipping of pages almost in sync, the animo just about there--but just not totally ready.

An acto is a drawn-out citywide ceremony featuring students from all of the colegios, the red-headed governora of Ultima Esperanza, the mayor Mario Margoni, ministery officials, and other dignitaries. Yesterday's acto was the culmination of a rather disorganized "English Week" (which entailed playing games in class instead of doing lessons). We were last to go on the docket, in slot number 12. Two hours after other students performed "Tears in Heaven," a duet with Rihanna, and a short play, we were up, and suddenly one of the microphones had disappeared. Javiera and Valentina took turns holding the mike so one or the other could flip a page or hold up one of the drawings. It was a rocky start, but they did it in spite of the hitch. I was proud of them.

Claudio, the director, and I got to go on stage and put gold medals around their necks. It wasn't the smoothest presentation, but Javiera, Valentina, Claudia, and Sara were beaming with pride. They had all put their hair in pigtails for the event. Afterwards, all the students and teachers were invited to the comedor for sodas and snacks.

"Hay que pagar?" they asked me as they looked at the trays of empanadas and dollops of pate on bread. Do we have to pay? We had to explain that this celebration was in their honor. I think this type of event was a first for them. It was just Fanta and Coke and greasy pastries, but what a big difference that canmake to a fourth-grader.

The important thing, my director explained, is that different students have the opportunity to participate in events like this--not just our best speakers, like the bright but feisty Coni, from eigth grade. ("I'm intelligent," she told me in perfect English the other day. "She's a bitch," she added, pointing to another student.)

The director is right. I realized how much today. When I came to school, the girls were wearing their medals over their sweatsuits and smiling with pride.