Party

One of my 8th grade classes threw a party for themselves today to celebrate their birthdays. It was so fantastic! Birthday parties are not a normal thing here- I don’t think I’ve ever been to a birthday party or even heard of one, so it was a fun surprise. The students invited all the teachers into their classroom where it was decorated with balloons and drawings on the chalk board. Eulalia, a student and one of my REDES girls, got up and gave a speech to the teachers thanking them for participating and for supporting them throughout the year. Then the Director of Turma (the teacher in charge of the class) read a poem about growing up and how they, the students, are our future and how important they are. It was so sweet. Then we sang happy birthday and ate the food the students had prepared- French fries, salad, and sandwiches. It was a feast. I was completely surprised by the party and not only was I happy to be involved, I was/am so happy that the students had the opportunity to celebrate themselves and feel special. It’s so rare here that kids get that. And they seemed so happy. I did make them work a little, considering the party took place during my class time- I made them sing Happy Birthday in English.