In the last week of school at Lacoochee Elementary, I wrote an invitation to a few families to come for an art day at our ranch. As CareyAnne, their teacher, says, these kids need experience. I struck out on contacting the Hispanic families. No phones, and no way to get in touch with them. As the day approached I heard nothing. I had no idea whether there would be many kids coming or none at all. Then, the day before,two families called to say they were coming - and they were bringing many kids.
Two vans pulled up, on time, spilling out nine kids. A good number, I thought. There were the two kids I knew and their siblings and friends. One child, an eleven year old boy, Raymond, was a kid I had met a few times at school and wanted to know him. Just because of nothing Raymond helped me on occasion when I was toting my bags and boxes into school. So I was delighted to have him be a part of the Friday art group. The kids ranged from eleven on down to seven years old.
These kids were so different from the 'entitled' kids I am familiar with. They were excruciatingly polite and persisted in calling me "Miss Molly". They were enthralled with the clay project I presented. The clay drying shelves are now crowded with pinch pots and little clay cats and tiny other things.The two moms seemed to enjoy working in clay alongside their kids. These kids loved having ENOUGH! Time flew and it was soon time to clean up the clay and have a snack of watermelon.
All morning the kids had been working in my art studio or in the barn. I had been running from group to group encouraging, teaching them how to connect the clay pieces and showing them how they could use the clay tools.
It was time to finish this up and have time for a swim in the pool. We walked up to the pool after everyone had changed into swimsuits. The kids were so eager to swim! They burst into the water, and gradually began to get out the water stuff they needed. We have a box of goggles, fins, floats. They were much quieter than the usual kids I know. Not many of them could really swim so they stayed comfortably by the edges. With time, they began to get their heads underwater, some went to jump into the pool at the deep end. They were really enjoying it! Of course, I was watching everyone like a hawk, overview teacher, count the heads.
I am so used to kids who swim like fish. St. Petersburg, where my kids grew up, has many pools and beaches and every kid in town pretty much learns to swim at an early age, goes on swim teams and is at home in the water. Dade City and Lacoochee do not have any available public pool. (a legacy of segregation?)
The Friday art event turned out better than I would have expected. We have decided to do it again next week. By then, the clay pieces will have been fired and ready to glaze.
Raymond was the only person who came who was curious about anything. He wanted to know much more about the clay process, he asked about this property. He asked me what I did, what my work was. The two moms who came were curiously incurious. They never asked me anything that I can recall. What a gulf we are trying to bridge! What could they ask?
After swimming one of the moms was irritated with her child who was being difficult and hauled off and hit her with the buckle top of a swimsuit. I could hear the little girl screaming and I rushed to her to see what was wrong. I was appalled, but what could I say? There was no blood, and I know this child to be a drama queen, but still, you don't hit kids. I took the little girl's hand in mine. It was all I could do.
When the kids gathered to collect their belongings I invited them to select a book from the pile of library books I had checked out. Reading one and bringing it back was their ticket to come next week. This was fantastic, delicious, and the kids loved selecting their books. It was my opportunity to tell the moms how important it is to read with your kids. I got one of them to promise me she'd read out loud to her kids this week. Who knows?
Probably the word will get out that Miss Molly has a great pool, cool art stuff, free snacks, and there will be twice as many kids next Friday.
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