This week 9^th grade students all gathered in Knowles lecture hall to participate in a Skype call with Sonia Nazario, author of Enrique’s Journey. Ms. Nazario’s book, published originally in 2006, continues to resonate with readers of many ages. An in-depth look at the complexities of immigration in the United States, the book tells the story of one boy from Honduras who attempts to find his mother who has illegally immigrated to the United States.  This non-fiction book also serves as the core text for our new 9^th grade Intensive program.  Over the next month, students will be taking a deep dive into this topic, learning from various people actively involved in enforcing US policy, assisting immigrants, and working in the state and federal court systems, as well as hearing from recent immigrants from many different countries.  The goal is to present as many different angles on the subject and to hear as many different stories as possible. 

 

While Nazario’s book takes a more neutral, journalistic approach (she was an investigative reporter for the LA Times when she started her extensive work), she is now much more outspoken as an advocate for immigration reform in the U.S.  As such, she was pointedly critical of current policy and the Trump administration during her Skype call.  (I should note she has also been outspoken about the shortcomings of the Obama administration’s policies, including “Operation Streamline” and other US-backed programs that have made it easier to send migrants back to dangerous situations in their home countries.)  Nazario’s passion for and expertise in this subject was apparent and she made an impression on the gathered audience, who were also able to ask her questions directly. 

 

This is such a topical and important issue!  Just this week we witnessed debates over DACA, El Salvadorans with temporary protected status, and the building of a southern border wall.  Our students need to be well equipped to understand what will continue to be one of the major global issues of our time: what to do with the millions of displaced people all over the world who are fleeing war, oppression and economic instability in their home countries?

 

We are also actively beginning to look towards next school year.  Upper School department chairs and I will be working with our registrar, Sheila Chennell, to put together next year’s curriculum guide, which will be published in early February.  Right now we are considering new courses we may want to offer, and we always re-visit the question of graduation requirements and the various pathways through our academic program.  Once the guide comes out, advisors and deans meet with students to discuss next year’s course registration.  There is time and opportunity for parent input as well, specifically in late February and then again as a conversation point at advisory conferences, which take place on Friday, March 9.  Parents will be getting plenty of information on all of this over the next few weeks, so please look out for those announcements.

 

  

Our Turkish exchange students will be arriving in the United States on Sunday, excitedly ready to meet with their CA host families.  Starting on Tuesday, they will shadow their hosts at school and will absorb as much as they can about Colorado culture in a whirlwind two weeks here.  Trips to the Denver Art Museum, Breckenridge, the Denver Stock Show, and the University of Colorado at Boulder are all in the works.  CA students go to Istanbul in October to visit and attend the Uskudar American Academy, one of the top institutions in all of Turkey.  This partnership has been going on for five years and has done a lot to promote positive relationships between people of two countries that often don’t know as much about each other as they might.  Many thanks to Daniel Lopez, Global Studies coordinator, and Katy Hills, faculty sponsor of this exchange.