Tuesday, June 26 – Today we were at Mona Heights Primary School again. I talked with the students more, and we got to know each other better. We played tag, and I got to play red light/green light with them. I also read 10 books in a row to some of the older students while the teacher graded papers. Talking to the kids made me realize that I need to take pride in what I have in school and not take it for granted. When I first got to the school I thought it would be out of control and really different, but when I got there it was not like that. The school is just like some schools in D.C., but there are a few things that are different.
Students here have to pay for their own lunch, and if they don’t have the money, they have to wait and have it when they get home. At school, the class sizes are also really big. There are 25 kids in one class, and this shocked me because I’m used to 15 students in a class. I think because the classes are so big, the teachers have to work harder here than in some other countries.
Another thing I noticed is that the teachers at the school are like fathers and mothers to their students. One of the teachers told me that this happens because a few of the kids don’t have their own mothers or fathers in their lives. I think this is why the students give the teachers so much respect and actually listen the first time instructions are given.
When I get back to school I will tell my peers that they should be happy with the things they have because of everything I saw and heard at Mona Heights Primary School. I met several kids here who would love to have the things that we have back home. They would love to be able to do the things we do at school, like going on field trips or having access to a computer lab for research.
So far this trip has helped me do things I don’t normally do, like talking about my life to people I don’t know. Every time we have a break I talk to other people on Team Jamaica. Sometimes the conversations are hard for me and make me feel uncomfortable, but I’m happy to be making connections and friends. Tomorrow is our last day at the school, and then we are going to EITS Irish-Town, a co-op farm in the mountains. I’m excited to be in the Blue Mountains and climb because I really like hiking and being in nature.
Carlos H., SEED Public Charter School