CDS Students Visit Arthur Gough ALDEA
This week we have had three of our International Animal Nations Teams travel to the Arthur Gough ALDEA in Rio Oro to take part in literacy activities with the students there. The trips so far have been a huge success for all involved and we are forging meaningful and lasting relationships with the students of the ALDEA. The ALDEA is a government funded home for children who have been abandoned or are unable to stay in their homes for a variety of reasons. The Arthur Gough ALDEA is a tremendous opportunity for children to have a safe and stable homelife, while receiving the education and care that they deserve. We at CDS have decided to partner with the ALDEA staff and children and build a relationship around reading. CDS librarian Sara Calderone has taken the lead in this project where CDS elementary students have donated libraries for each of the 10 houses on the ALDEA property for the children to enjoy. Before our December break, a group of 15 CDS students traveled to Santa Ana to present the books and share how to properly care for them.
My personal experience on the trip from Tuesday’s group was profound. At the foundation of the project is literacy. We started our visit by breaking into small groups and reading a story together. Our story was, “El Mas Poderoso.” As members of our group, both CDS and ALDEA students, read, I found myself overwhelmed with emotion seeing the children interacting and having fun reading together. We then created Tableaux Vivants or living pictures - striking poses of our favorite parts of the book. It was a huge laugh for all of us!
The visit was a phenomenal success for not only the students but the teachers as well. We shared in laughter, enjoyment and built new relationships that will hopefully last for time to come. Through experiences like these, we build empathy in our children and give them a tool that will help them in every aspect of their lives. Please talk to your children about their experiences during their time with the students of the ALDEA and help them identify their thoughts and feelings about what they experienced. Thank you for allowing your children to take part in such a powerful experience.
