“Esta es mi tierra, así es mi Perú” sang the all-girl chorus composed of students from various 5th grade classes. 5th grade of secondary school in Peru is the equivalent to that of 12th grade back in the States. These were the seniors, proudly singing a song that captured their Peruvian heritage. Beforehand, one of them gave a brief history of the song to the crowd of school staff and teachers and explained why they had spent the semester learning that song among others during their art class.
It was “Día Del Logro,” a day in which the entire school celebrates teaching, learning, and a variety of accomplishments. The principal, vice principals, and other important staff walked from display to display to listen and watch as the students presented for each subject area. In science, they demonstrated how they fermented cheese and made yogurt, then gave samples. In math, they demonstrated how knowing formulas can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle, in religion they presented on how they can contribute to preserving the environment. And in person, family & human relations the students presented on bullying.
While I stuck with the staff group for a few of the presentations, I mostly wandered to each area by myself to ask the students and teachers questions about their work. While I had been in the school since March of the year (and a few months last year), I had no idea what the kids were learning in their classes and was highly impressed and so proud, especially of the ones whom I knew presenting.
Even more so, the students were proud of themselves. The energy was so high that day, the kids who didn’t have to stick around for the presentations did. It was so rejuvenating to observe the excitement and enthusiasm for learning that the students shared. The ones presenting projects were role models for those who weren’t. And those who weren’t were just as engaged in the presentations.
I have often been quick to judge the schools in my community because they are different than what I grew up with—they have less resources, they cancel classes more often, etc. But, on that day, “Día Del Logro,” I saw something that I hadn’t seen before. Passion. Witnessing that inspired me to keep working with those kids who are so eager to learn and to help them develop into the community leaders they can be. It encouraged me to continue working with the staff, whom shared the same hopes as I did for the students. It also reassured me that I was becoming a key component of the school’s community and that the projects I had been working on were in line with the school’s overall mission and objectives.
The students are now on a two week Winter Break, and I can’t wait to continue with the Map Your World project once classes resume knowing that it is a culmination of what they’re learning in their other classes.
Brittany McGee 