Not only was it an exciting day for the Freedom staff, but I could see the excitement in the eyes of the students & their parents! Kindergarten graduation turned out to be a great day :) We were able to accomplish so much... it allowed us to recognize our students, continue to building relationships in the community, and better explain what Freedom's vision is for the bateyes.
First step - Clean, Clean, Clean!!!
The work site was a mess, but in a good way :) All the teachers & staff helped to scrape cement out of the rooms, wash down the floors & clean up the walls & windows. It was a group effort (minus me because of my gigantic belly).
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| Mery, Freedom's 1st grade Dominican teacher |
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| Kurt & Scott working hard to finish the bathroom. |
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| Everyone pitching in the clean out the school entry way. |
Next - Decorate - It's a party!
We didn't go all out with the decorations, but I felt it was appropriate for the feel of the new school. Some Freedom color balloons, rainbows, and of course setting up the classrooms to get the general idea of what it will look like on the first day of school.
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| The preschool classroom prepped for graduation day. |
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| The main showroom. |
Last - The Ceremony
Kurt put together two videos for the parents, one in Haitian Creole & the other in Spanish. These videos were shown at the ceremony to explain to the parents why Freedom is here in the Dominican & our vision for the school. It was amazing to see so many people begin to grasp the significance of our being here! It's refreshing to see that they're starting to "get it." Toni spoke after the videos & explain the schedule, bus route, and more. Then, we had the Kindergarteners walk up for their diplomas. It was a site that just made you want to cry :) They're growing up so fast & have changed so much since their first half year in 2012. I felt like a proud parent, & I could see the same look in their actually parent's faces. Just another way to see the power of God working here in the lives of these people!!
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| Our students from the school year 2013-14 |
