Just before Thanksgiving,  I traveled to Nashville to present our junior kindergarten’s work on reaching out to Milwaukee’s refugee community at NAEYC’s (National Association for the Education of Young Children) annual conference. This is the largest conference of early childhood educators, sponsored by the largest early childhood professional membership organization, in the world. My presentation, Knowing the Souls of Strangers, was a look into our important work that began about three years ago, initially strengthened through our school’s Global Experience. Since then, our class has continued to reach out, learn about, and support Milwaukee’s refugee community.  I’m always proud to speak on behalf of our young students and their families on this curriculum that we have developed together. What I did not expect was that through these presentations, I would change my view on how this social action curriculum would move forward. 

I remember thinking when MJDS moved from Folk Fair to Global Experience, that our school’s good could be better. This was exactly my realization while presenting last week. Since beginning to reach out to Milwaukee’s diverse refugee community, our JrK class has also made connections with other communities in and around Milwaukee. For example, we now partner with a group of refugee and immigrant students from Riverside High School and  exchange visits with a group of college students from Cardinal Stritch’s Diversity for Education class. Through our school’s Repairing Together program we begin a ten year collaboration with the now four year old kindergarten students at Milwaukee’s Indian Community School. What started as reaching out to one group has broadened into making connections to many. We have opened our classroom door, and our hearts, to others – getting to know our similarities while also celebrating our differences. Upon reflection, I realize that future presentations should showcase the work our students do in reaching out to many different communities. The common thread of this important work continues to be about making connections with all people, learning from and about others. I’m reminded of the song (one of my favorites!) from Shabbat Sing- “Mitzvah Goreret Mitzvah”- One good deed will bring another good deed. When representing MJDS, my presentation needs to reflect our progression of learning and good deeds. 

Teachers and directors who heard my presentation gave great feedback and, I hope, developed a deeper understanding of working through big ideas with young children. They wondered how to begin this powerful learning in their own classroom. More than a few participants came up to me afterwards with this same message; That I am fortunate to work in a school that supports this type of important learning. And, to thank my students and families for their kindness and their readiness to reach across so many of our communities, tackling big ideas by finding connections with others.