A Zoo Trip
This week Mighty Oak went on our first school wide field trip to the zoo. It was a rainy day, and the kids had a great time, making sure to find every puddle the zoo had to offer them. They also got to be there to witness the unveiling of a new animal to the zoo, a Red Panda.
Renewing Potential…
At Mighty Oak, we believe in more than just educating, it is about empowering learners. It is about creating community minded problem solvers. What does it mean for us to go beyond just educating kids? It means removing the obstacles that prevent our kids from being who they were created to be.
The other day, I was told about an incident that happened in our Kindergarten class. In PE, one of our students was taunting another student about being slow. When the teacher intervened in the situation, she asked the student who was being taunted to tell the other student how the words his classmate was using made him feel. He responded, with downcast eyes, “It’s ok, I know I am slow”. This response is not normal. Most 6 year olds I know think they are Lightning McQueen, they believe when they take off the only thing that other people see is a blur because of how fast they are. How is it possible that this kid has come to believe he is slow? How many times have people told this child he was slow? What opportunities will this kid pass up due to being labeled slow? It broke my heart when I heard.
If a 6 year old can already label themselves as slow, how many other labels have they already been given? Do they believe they are bad at math, bad writers, bad at communicating, bad at learning? Maybe they have had bad experiences with learning, but it takes failure to learn, perhaps it just hasn’t been explained in a way that makes sense with the way their brain works. Not everyone will be good at everything, but to rob a kid of the confidence to try because of something they have been told about themselves is wrong.
Every kid has some type of label put on them at some point, it’s just that kids in our community have to fight through so many more. They have to fight through more just from the stereotypes associated with our neighborhood, from the past educational systems that left them behind, from the generations above them who had the same titles put on themselves.
Now, we have to break those curses off of our children. We have to stop the cycle that keeps these children from fulfilling their potential and being who they were created to be. We need to make sure our Kindergarteners keep running instead of stopping because of the belief that they are slow. This is what it means to love in education. This is what it means to be a community.
Ethan
While our 1,000 neighbors giving $25 a month campaign has officially ended, we are still looking for partners to help sponsor students at Mighty Oak Academy. If you can join in and partner with us please click the link below.
MIGHTY OAK SPRING COLLECTION ‘23 OUT NOW!!!
Get your student deigned apparel here.
Kemet with her shirt design
If you are interested in volunteering or to find out more information about supplies needed please email: info@lovecityinc.org or call (502) 272-078.