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WEEK of June 12, 2006 |
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Reflections from Houston: After the Hurricane by Piper Macleod I first heard of Elisa last October. Just 13-years old, Elisa and her family fled their New Orleans home as the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina rose inside their house. They clambered to the roof where she and her mother were eventually rescued by helicopter and ended up spending five days in the Superdome. The conditions there were inhumane—unbearable heat, putrid smells, crowding worse than any rush hour subway in New York. Though the children cried for food and water, they were not given any. Elisa says she could not go to the restroom for fear she would be assaulted. Eight months later, she still has nightmares about her experience. Sadly, Elisa’s story is not unusual. Over 200,000 students were displaced by Katrina. Many of them were not as fortunate as Elisa, whose family ended up wending their way to Houston where they became part of the New Orleans West (NOW) school. NOW was created in the aftermath of Katrina by a New Orleans grade school principal, Gary Robichaux, who was determined to help the children he once taught. Gary said he came to Houston and began working with KIPP officials to open a school after his students started e-mailing him after the storm. He flew to Houston and saw many of them at the Astrodome, and he thought a special school was needed in Houston to help them adjust and cope. By the time the school opened, six weeks after the hurricane, some 300 students and 33 teachers from New Orleans had a refuge—a place where they could learn, teach, and recover from the trauma—in the company of others who had lost everything in the storm. How I got to know about and visit New Orleans West is in many ways typical of the community service-oriented culture at Brooklyn Friends School. It happened because of a conversation I had with Andrea (Ondie) Israel and Pamela Mitchell, parents of Brooklyn Friends 1st grader, Julian. They were telling me about their plans to work on the school’s Walkathon last fall, and their hope to have some of the proceeds earmarked for NOW. A broadcast journalist, Ondie had produced a story about NOW for CNN, and subsequently became very involved in helping the school. Ondie explained that she was also trying to foster a friendship program between Brooklyn Friends and New Orleans West. She asked if I would want to be a part of this, and my first thoughts were of creating workshops on music as a healing tool; I also felt that the workshops could be geared towards the teachers as well as the students. It took a number of months before our preliminary conversation evolved into an actual trip. But by late February it became clear I was actually going to Houston. The dates were set for the third week in March, when Brooklyn Friends was on spring break.
There was very little time, and a lot to do. I would need to seek advice from healers, there was research to do, collaboration with colleagues and dialogue with the professionals at NOW. Who were these students? What was their previous classroom experience? Would they be open to a stranger coming in and asking them to connect to their feelings using learning tools that were foreign to them? Who was I to think that I could make a difference? One thing was clear: I would need support. The assistance and encouragement I needed came from Ondie and a friend she had met, Ashley Bryan, a Houston mom who was also working with the children at NOW. Ondie made the arrangements for our trip, Ashley provided us with a place to stay. Before we went, I did a little research on NOW and learned that it is a school that serves students, all African-American, from New Orleans’s Ninth Ward—one of the poorest regions in the country. I learned that the school is being run by the nationally recognized Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), responsible for opening 47 charter schools nationwide in troubled inner-city communities with the goal of preparing underprivileged students for college. NOW is doing everything it can to work with this population of children whose education was failing them in New Orleans. Their program leads students on a path towards graduation and college. And although the purpose of my visit was one of service, upon arriving I quickly realized I would be learning invaluable lessons from my experience. I spoke to many of the teachers within my first hour of visiting the school. Right away I discovered that KIPP’s educational initiative has mandatory parental involvement, longer school days, and 24-hour teacher support. The teachers are young—the median age is 24—and tirelessly involved. They give out cellular numbers so that they can remain in contact with students outside of school hours. NOW’s administration and staff make the academic and emotional needs of students their priority, and they provide constant reinforcement and support for the teachers.
On my first day at NOW, I led workshops for 6th-8th graders using music as a healing tool. The kids sauntered into the room and sat across from me in a semi-circle of chairs. Some were giggling and self-conscious. Some were cracking jokes, only to be hushed by their teacher. One little girl was sucking her thumb and holding a blanket. As they entered I started to drum and sing. I wanted the students to know they were about to experience something new. We were about to experience it together. There were so many unknowns I was facing: the length of the class, amount of students, ages, skill levels, behavioral and learning issues were a few of the many variables that demanded flexibility. It was clear from the start that I would need to dive into the deep end as I began the workshop. I decided that the best approach was to prepare for every possibility, to improvise rather than plan the workshop. But there were certain tools I banked on: songs of closure and gratitude to help process the traumatic events of the recent past; movement to help them express feelings. Yet I wondered, considering all these children had gone through, and where they came from, would any of this work? We were off to a bumpy start. I asked the children to echo me when we sang Shri ram, Jai ram. For the most part, they responded with hesitation, though one small boy was earnestly participating. After a few moments, others were trying and they started to come around as a group. Except for one student: Pernell. He kept coming in and out of the room during the workshop. He was smiling and hiding his face in his hands. Occasionally he would leave the room (connecting to the support staff in the hallway). We were singing Kwaheri, a Swahili song that translates to Good-bye my friend; we’ll meet again if we’re supposed to. Throughout the fast rhythms of the song, the students continued to join in with their voices. Pernell came back in. We added movement. Pernell left. We talked about the message of the song. Pernell was back, listening intently. At this point, I had the kids describe important people who had influenced their lives. One of Pernell’s classmates was sharing with us that his Grandfather had been a great mentor to him. He said his grandfather taught him to carry himself with honor, and to participate fully in life. He said he carried these lessons with him everyday, along with the memory of his grandfather, who was no longer alive. Our songs provided many opportunities for dialogue and process around closure. And then, in a moment of improvisation, we decided to perform Kwaheri for the 3rd grade next door. Pernell left. We rehearsed our presentation and Pernell was back. I wasn't sure how to handle his Houdini act, but it was starting to affect the class. So, when we entered the neighboring 3rd grade classroom, and I discovered that once again Pernell was missing, I asked his classmates to chant, “Pernell, we need you, Pernell, We Need You, PERNELL, WE NEED YOU!!” Pernell peeked in through the window. We started singing Kwaheri, Kwaheri! The teacher opened the door, as we kept singing. Pernell was smiling, Kwaheri, Kwaheri! Pernell was standing with us, Kwaheri, Kwaheri! After class, Pernell’s teacher shared that that was the most participation she had ever seen from him. Pernell had been witnessed. Students had shared. And perhaps most important of all, everyone’s unique experience—their varied histories and personal ways of processing what they'd been through—were honored.
That afternoon, the workshops continued with the teachers. The teacher workshop was an overview of the many resources they can access to enhance their teaching. Included in these tools was a CD and packet that B.F.S. students helped create. The CD included songs from around the world that can be used as “queries” in discussions and journal entries relevant to Katrina. The resources also showed how musical and movement experiences could help build and provide catalysts for literacy deepening projects. The teachers were very receptive to the ideas in the workshop and used the topics presented as a springboard for a brainstorming session. They also wanted insight into how we at Brooklyn Friends have become the kind of community we are. They wanted to know how to instill a culture of caring, respect and service. They were curious about how Quaker philosophy has influenced our educational goals. And they were interested in using some of what we do as a community as a model. It is their goal to create a similar, socially responsible and caring community within their own school. Included in all the workshops were healing modalities and Brain Gyms that help shift energy. The past few years, I have more formally used a variety of modalities in the classroom. I continue to find these tools helpful in establishing a focus and common ground in which to create with the children. It’s amazing how students will start to self- initiate using these techniques. I told the teachers at NOW that I have used these tools successfully at BFS and with other students. They were especially interested in exploring the modalities that can move students from a foggy, disoriented state towards a place of clarity and coherence. I continued to use these tools on the second day of our NOW visit,
this time working with Kindergarten through second grade. Never
before have I experienced the level of shifting energy that went
on in those workshops. Students who initially seemed like kernels
of corn flying around in a popcorn machine settled themselves into
a place of learning within seconds. It was very transformative—not
just for them, but for me, as well. Throughout the visit I was the student. The education I received continues to leave my head spinning. The information that I learned has me brainstorming about other projects we can do with our own students to make a difference in the world around us. The inspiring teachers made me realize that new ideas can be embraced and old ideas can be tried again. It is very easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day responsibilities of our lives. I hope to stay grounded, aware, and reflective. Above all, actively improving all that I can in my small way. The philanthropic families in Houston who supported our visit also inspired me. They were so authentic, so full of care and friendship. And they—like the parents in our BFS community—were busy doing their own work within their affected community. I have learned from them, too. For they, like our BFS parents, are a remarkable resource to teachers who endeavor to make a difference. photos, from top: Piper with some of the first graders at NOW; picture of a message from Freddie, one of the first grade children, for a Martin Luther King study, in which they were asked about what dreams they had. It reads “My Dream Is To Help Rebuild New Orleans”; Brooklyn Friends cards and photo from our walkathon, displayed in the NOW hallway; Friends Walk the Mile mural created by Brooklyn Friends, displayed in the NOW hallway Piper Macleod is a singer/composer/educator who works with people of all ages on expressing themselves through creativity. She has led workshops on: Integrating healing modalities as classroom management tools; Literacy building through music and movement; Creativity training as a way to build confidence and self expression. She teaches Lower School music at Brooklyn Friends School. |
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