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Emiliano Zapata, Indigenous Elementary, Grades 4-6 The school is considered to be an Indigenous school, teachers and the Academic program taught to students should be under a bilingual method, that means Spanish and Mazahua –students mother language—should be taught as part of their academical education. Arriving to school at 9 p.m. Children start to wear warmer and warmer clothes within possible from this time on. We are having a colder December than usual the last few years. January is expected colder (temperaturas in the ealry morning at minus 0 Centigrade degrees), with some snow likely, and ice freezing all over. Homes should be heated all day with the wooden rustic stove, but no way to heat the school a little bit! We children born in our region get used to it. Journey North has visited this school for the 3rd year now, and Moms, having herd of our program from their children, have decided to attend the presentation on preservation of Monarchs and our local hábitat. While listening, they ask why such message are not delivered to the whole community and more often, since they consider our local society are needing this kind of messages. MOTHERS SPEAKING: “Our grand-grand parents and grandparents (born in the beginning of the last century and used to say that when they were sheperds as children, there were some áreas in the forest which were all clouded and carpeted with Monarch butterflies without end; they say they and their animals could hardly walk through. Nowadays we see many, many… but not as many as our grandparents describe” ESTELA: What do you think could be the reasons for the decrease in population according to your description?. MOMS: “Well, as you describe it, teacher Estelita, the decrease in our forest; we have less water, less of many animals we used to see more when we were children, as the Ajolotes, Corre-Camios, Armadillos, Tlacuaches, Urones, Zorrillos, and several kinds of birds”. ESTELA: Do you think we could do some things to rescue and enhance many of this we used to have, that our parents say it used to be? The mothers attending the talk are mothers to handicapped children who are not at the school. They ask whether they can write their letter on their handicapped chidren’s behalf. They themselves filled it in; one of them with great difficulty since she is hardly able to read and write; she got help from us all. The moms refused to be photographed while filling in their letter. Wonderful experience for them and for Journey North! They helped the children get more interested and enthusiastic than expected! The maps included in the Symbolic Monarchs show the chidren where their friends live and where the Monarchs come from in the North! Reading the bilingual message-description in English-Spanish results fascinating! Many of them express their dream of learning to speak English some day! Maps show the Symbolic Monarchs came from Georgia and Indiana, North Carolina and other states participating in the symbolic migration. So exciting! Break-time. During the many years that schools have been visited in the region, this is the first time children trying to learn to play chez game are seen now!. I was very surprised!. Schools in general have rather scarce playground and games for children to enjoy at breaktime. It i son every director at each school to enhance aspects like this and to go into taking actions on the matter. Every director is free to provide his school with as best facilities as possible, more and more appropriate, within possible, for the chidrens’ development and enjoying at the same time as learning in the classrooms. One way or the other, children look for ways to have fun this or that way during break-time at school. Butterflies Received Prairie View Elementary, Cedar Rapids, IA
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