Monday, November 27, 2006
Church vs Kindergarten on Displaced Native American Day
or Testifying Before Recess
My daughter Phina had her Thanksgiving Day Program last Wednesday prior to the official Displaced Native American Day. My daughter gets excited at any chance to perform and basically show what she's got. She memorized her solo part, two poems and two songs in the course of two days. Uhh Hello Broadway!!
Anyway I get to her class with my turkey wings and greens sans the meat. I laughed to myself as the other parents swirled the greens around in my tupperware searching for a piece of bacon or a bit of fatback. But let's get back to the program shall we.
The production was about great feast between the Indians and the Pilgrims and how thankful everyone was that day. Blah Blah Blah. My daughter's class was split up between pilgrims and Indians. Oh and there was a King. My daughter Phina's portrayal as the Indian was loud and rather Carol Burnett like. And her dramatic interpretation of each song and poem was flawless. She was on cue so well it was if a Tony was waiting to presented to her upon the finale. And even when it wasn't my daughter's part, she mouthed everyone's else's part. At which point I gave her my stern headshake signaling her to cease. After we parents stood up, clapped, yelled and whistled for our young thespians, it was our turn to participate.
My daughter's teacher asked to go around the room and say what we were thankful for. It was volunteer of course. She began with our children who one by one stood up and announced what they were thankful for. What followed was a bunch of repeated answers like my family, my mommy, my pet etc. And then came the "toppers". Their answers included "my life"," my breath", and "to be alive." At this point a lil competition commenced starring my child.
After the last "to be alive" came "God". Then a little girl before my daughter said "Jesus Christ."
And then my daughter, being the showboat that she is says "My Bible". Now folks don't get me wrong here, we are spiritual people. We pray. We give thanks to God and know there's something beyond this world. And my kids go to church when we make it. They go more with my parents. But I know my daughter well enough to know that her response was not sincere. The way she said it and looked at her teacher was as if to say "Is that right." IT was a rehearsed answer. It seemed very scripted and not my child. I hid my reaction with a closed smile and a clap.
I said what I was thankful for in my head mainly because I was still perplexed at my daughter's response and actions. Most parents said specific things. Some were spiritually based and some weren't. Then came her teacher. My daughter's teacher stood up and praised our childrens' intelligence and work ethics. And then she proceeded to have church!!!!
In laymen's terms, she begin to testify. In the beginning it was innocent. Then as she went on to say "I give glory to God and He's been so good to me" etc and so on and so on, I was taken aback. She went on to talk about how Jesus helped her walk and how she got out of depression.
And how she prayed and prayed etc. And to make it worse, parents were agreeing with their "preach on's " and their "that's rights'." That's when I knew I was alone in my thinking. The thing is I have nothing against testifying and giving thanks to God for what he's done for me but a Kindergarten classroom is not the place. For her or any of the other parents for that matter to assume that everyone had the same belief system was not right. There is one boy in the class whose parents are muslim. Yet they didn't come to the program. And I saw his mother remind the teacher that he can't eat pork.
So really I was the only one who found it awkward. Everyone else took it. It seems as if the assumption is if you are black and go to DC public schools, then you must be Christian. And not only Christian but okay with practicing Christianity in the classroom. It's one thing for you to pray over your food at lunch time but a whole other monkey when you're giving testimony in the middle of a Thanksgiving production. Well I didn't make cause any beef. One because this is the last year my daughter will attend this school. Though I adore the community and her principal, the school itself is beyond repair and doen't have what my daughter needs. Two because I'm not muslim, a buddhist, or an athiest etc it really didn't affect me personally. But I do believe if my daughter's teacher begin to give thanks to Muhammed, there would of been an uprising.
I asked my daugher why she said my bible during her program. She said ummm, I don't know. I didn't question her any further after that. Maybe another time. But I did ask her what she was thankful for. She answered "my house." In my sincere after school special way I reminded her to always be truthful and say what you feel.
PS-And even though the other parents and teachers didn't find any meat in my husband's greens, I'm glad to say that all that was left was a spot of green juice in the corner. Oh and a partridge in a pear tree.
or Testifying Before Recess
My daughter Phina had her Thanksgiving Day Program last Wednesday prior to the official Displaced Native American Day. My daughter gets excited at any chance to perform and basically show what she's got. She memorized her solo part, two poems and two songs in the course of two days. Uhh Hello Broadway!!
Anyway I get to her class with my turkey wings and greens sans the meat. I laughed to myself as the other parents swirled the greens around in my tupperware searching for a piece of bacon or a bit of fatback. But let's get back to the program shall we.
The production was about great feast between the Indians and the Pilgrims and how thankful everyone was that day. Blah Blah Blah. My daughter's class was split up between pilgrims and Indians. Oh and there was a King. My daughter Phina's portrayal as the Indian was loud and rather Carol Burnett like. And her dramatic interpretation of each song and poem was flawless. She was on cue so well it was if a Tony was waiting to presented to her upon the finale. And even when it wasn't my daughter's part, she mouthed everyone's else's part. At which point I gave her my stern headshake signaling her to cease. After we parents stood up, clapped, yelled and whistled for our young thespians, it was our turn to participate.
My daughter's teacher asked to go around the room and say what we were thankful for. It was volunteer of course. She began with our children who one by one stood up and announced what they were thankful for. What followed was a bunch of repeated answers like my family, my mommy, my pet etc. And then came the "toppers". Their answers included "my life"," my breath", and "to be alive." At this point a lil competition commenced starring my child.
After the last "to be alive" came "God". Then a little girl before my daughter said "Jesus Christ."
And then my daughter, being the showboat that she is says "My Bible". Now folks don't get me wrong here, we are spiritual people. We pray. We give thanks to God and know there's something beyond this world. And my kids go to church when we make it. They go more with my parents. But I know my daughter well enough to know that her response was not sincere. The way she said it and looked at her teacher was as if to say "Is that right." IT was a rehearsed answer. It seemed very scripted and not my child. I hid my reaction with a closed smile and a clap.
I said what I was thankful for in my head mainly because I was still perplexed at my daughter's response and actions. Most parents said specific things. Some were spiritually based and some weren't. Then came her teacher. My daughter's teacher stood up and praised our childrens' intelligence and work ethics. And then she proceeded to have church!!!!
In laymen's terms, she begin to testify. In the beginning it was innocent. Then as she went on to say "I give glory to God and He's been so good to me" etc and so on and so on, I was taken aback. She went on to talk about how Jesus helped her walk and how she got out of depression.
And how she prayed and prayed etc. And to make it worse, parents were agreeing with their "preach on's " and their "that's rights'." That's when I knew I was alone in my thinking. The thing is I have nothing against testifying and giving thanks to God for what he's done for me but a Kindergarten classroom is not the place. For her or any of the other parents for that matter to assume that everyone had the same belief system was not right. There is one boy in the class whose parents are muslim. Yet they didn't come to the program. And I saw his mother remind the teacher that he can't eat pork.
So really I was the only one who found it awkward. Everyone else took it. It seems as if the assumption is if you are black and go to DC public schools, then you must be Christian. And not only Christian but okay with practicing Christianity in the classroom. It's one thing for you to pray over your food at lunch time but a whole other monkey when you're giving testimony in the middle of a Thanksgiving production. Well I didn't make cause any beef. One because this is the last year my daughter will attend this school. Though I adore the community and her principal, the school itself is beyond repair and doen't have what my daughter needs. Two because I'm not muslim, a buddhist, or an athiest etc it really didn't affect me personally. But I do believe if my daughter's teacher begin to give thanks to Muhammed, there would of been an uprising.
I asked my daugher why she said my bible during her program. She said ummm, I don't know. I didn't question her any further after that. Maybe another time. But I did ask her what she was thankful for. She answered "my house." In my sincere after school special way I reminded her to always be truthful and say what you feel.
PS-And even though the other parents and teachers didn't find any meat in my husband's greens, I'm glad to say that all that was left was a spot of green juice in the corner. Oh and a partridge in a pear tree.
Labels: church vs kindergarten
# posted by kokayi @ 8:43 AM 
