Kids and Leprechauns

Christina Evans writes:

“Oh NO we have a problem: The Leprechauns are in the trees”

Our St. Patrick’s Day Monday morning began with quite a treat. We had the chance to go back to the care free and energetic days of elementary school at Hynes Charter School. During Katrina Hynes lost their building, student records and some students have not yet returned. But they are committed to creating a safe and comfortable space for their children to learn and grow, and that is wonderfully obvious to anyone who spends time there. They are now relocated and sharing space with another elementary school in a building which functioned years ago as a Catholic school owned by the Diocese. Our group and another from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance helped paint murals, make copies, assemble teaching station carts, clean closets, paint vegetable garden planters, paint hopscotch on the playground and chat with kids.

Some of us were fortunate enough to hang out with the first and second graders on the playground. They were AWESOME! First off you know you are living life right when running around the playground in circles with 10 of your closest friends is considered class credit. However, it was not simply tag, kickball, and football tossing that we observed-no we had front row seats to a well organized highly sophisticated Leprechaun hunt. While building a basketball shelf Ginny, Andrew and Christina suddenly realized a hush and whispering little voices around the flower pot to the right of the playground. Six boys and girls from the kindergarten class were intensely hunched over a pot of pansies. The leader of the group reminded them to whisper and listen. We too tried to listen….but for what? Minutes later a little girl came running up suggesting Debbie heard tiny footsteps. The running and searching continued: in the slide, over the bench, beyond the mural, on the basketball court. Suddenly the charismatic leader ran back to playground where his search team was hard at work and with great sincerity and authority pronounced: “LISTEN! We have a problem: the Leprechauns are in the trees!” The search subsided, but the playing raged on and our joyful laughter ensued.

Beyond the hilarity of searching for little green people carrying pots of gold, we saw the amazing intelligence and beauty of spirit in these kids. While painting one of our group members warned his second grade friend about playing with the paint brush and getting paint on his clothes. Moments later after not heeding the warning the boy was left with paint on his shirt and our team member lovingly joked with him about it, which unfortunately caused him to break out into tears. Filled with contrition our team member tried to apologize and while doing so the little boy’s friend came to his defense. This other second grade boy approached an adult he didn’t know and calmly but firmly said “You know you hurt his feelings and you need to apologize. You should make it right. You should always do the right thing man.”

It was said in devotion Monday night that it is clear that those children are incredibly loved. This was evident in the joyful energy the kids exuded on the playground, the sincerity of their interest in new visitors at their school, the post Katrina art therapy program, the energy of the French immersion classes, the warm and the dedicated staff.