Found A Home At Last

          Today was Recognition (Graduation) Day at Perkins School. In addition to the students being recognised for graduating from High School or completing a certificate program, the school also honored some of their faculty. The man on the left has been the art teacher at Perkins School for the past 9 years and was recognised for his part in educating and helping these students succeed. He shares a little about how traditional art classroom are like and then he goes on to describe what goes on in his art room. He talks about those kids that walk in and are covered in chalk from head to toe in 5 minutes and he also goes onto a more emotional aspect of his classroom (and let me tell you, I don't think there were many dry eyes after his standing ovation).

          He goes into what is so special about his position and why he feels honored to be able to teach here at Perkins School. He shared about how Perkins School is rarely the first stop for the kids here, it is usually the last stop of a long list of unsuccessful placements. When a child first comes into his classroom he sees the hurt, pain, mistrust, disappointment and apprehension in their eyes as well as in their art work. He sees a part of these kids that others may not see because art is an outlet for these emotions when no other way of expression has worked. At this point in his speech he was over come by emotions himself that he just stands there for a minute not saying a word, as tears run down his face. He finishes up his acceptance speech with a comment about being honored to be allowed into these very special children's world and to see who they are and then draw them out to be who they can become!

          I know that my DD#2 has not been at this school very long (only 5 months) but I can already see a change in her. She has gone from a very dark place into a smiling young lady who holds her head up. For well over a year she was drawing pictures of death scenes, bloody daggers, writing "death" with Chinese symbols on her arms with permanent markers. She was over come with these images and ideas in her head. I could never begin to understand why she had this obsession with death other then it being part of her MI.

           You can see the transition that she has made in her drawing books. Pages upon pages of these horrific red and black pictures and then a glimmer of hope, a colorful dragon. Then a flower and some animals. Now, you rarely see the old pictures emerge. She is back to drawing the world around her. She is singing in the choir now, something she stopped doing almost 2 years ago. I know that this rebirth will continue to grow and flourish with staff members like this art teacher. They are their because these kids need them to see the real them. To see the pain inside and to reach past the anger and resentment, to find the child inside. Then to water and nurture them in ways many of us can't. To bring them back to life again!