Summer school is halfway over. I have 12 first graders and 1 second grader in my class. They are pretty amazing. Not as responsible as and independent as I thought that they might be. But, the neat thing is that summer school is a really awesome version of learning. We have a solid "learning" academic block in the morning, and then rotate through different stations in the afternoon. I'm doing a science activity each afternoon. Mondays-Wednesdays we have those activities and then Thursday we either do a whole group activity for two hours or watch a Disney movie :) On Friday we go on a fieldtrip. Talk about the best summer teaching ever, right?
One of my biggest highlights has been getting to know the other two classroom teachers out there. Sister Rita (yes, a nun) teaches the 2nd/3rd/4th class. She hais such a beautiful soul and has taught for over 30 years out here. Sister Rita is one of the funniest and most creative teachers I've ever met especially being an older teacher. Never thought I'd be friends with a nun, truthfully.
Brian teaches the 4th/5th/6th class. He was a volunteer at 0LL for three years and is now a salaried teacher there. Some how even then he is strict with the kids, he really makes them laugh.
This week I've gotten to hang out with my student Precious's grandma, Alice and Precious's dad, C-Boy to go to a sweat and a ceremony with them. My friend Claire got to come with me to this time. I hadn't been to a sweat or ceremony in so long and it felt so good to be back there. Yesterday we went to Sundance. Sundance is a traditional Lakota ceremony that lasts four days where people pledge to dance. Some men and women are pierced. There is a lot more that goes into it but I don't necessarily feel comfortable explaining it. Most medicine men each host one sometime throughout the summer if they feel a call to do so. Our students's parent, Rosa, pledged to dance for the first time this summer and invited to come see her. The whole experience was one of the most amazing things I'll ever see in my life, guaranteed. The ceremony was beautiful and one of the Red Cloud 5th graders was dancing in it. At the end of each day, the dancers do a particular dance. Then, the people who are there to support them go in the main circle. All of the dancers come by with either eagle feathers, a piece pipe or some just who use their hands for this part. They touch the spectators with those objects on the shoulder or on the head. It is a very humbling experience to be a part of the ceremony and something that I will never forget.
I love South Dakota. I love giant storms out in the Badlands. I love my students and their families. I love feeling like I'm finally making a difference with my actions out here. I love feeling like I've found a family out here even though my actual family is so far away. I love knowing I have at least one more year here.
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