Longhouse School

From Heidi

The highlight for my day yesterday was talking to Lolita (AKA “My Love”) last night about her teaching, her students, and Longhouse Elem. Early in the morning she started sending me WhatsApp videos  showing 24—kids (!!!), yes, the entire school, running around the track and finally swimming. “Did you notice this? Did you notice that?”

Then, while I was on the crosstown Manhattan bus a few minutes ago she texted me that the school is going to build a pool enclosure so they can swim throughout the winter.

She did some of her patented imitations of the school meeting when the kids debated whether they want the contractor to go ahead and start construction even though it means they will miss a few weeks of swimming before the weather gets too cold to swim. The kids are like courtroom lawyers. They went back and forth. Eventually, they asked all the teachers to leave their Lodge so they could discuss and take a vote. Another half an hour and they came out from their deliberations and reported a unanimous vote to go ahead with the construction. And, “Could YOU guys,” meaning the teachers, “please give us a day tomorrow with no distractions and meetings? We want to study!”

Oh well!