The Next Great Americans tour stopped by Nora Elementary in Indianapolis, Indiana today!
We found out that Nora is a very unique and diverse school. Ms. Talbert, the music teacher and Ms. Zybert, the principal, shared with us how that there are students from 24 different countries at this school and 27 different languages are spoken among the students! That’s amazing! Ms. Talbert said that she really did feel that she has the opportunity to “teach the world to sing!”
Nora Elementary is also something called an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme Candidate School. Ms. Zybert said that through the IB Primary Years Programme the students at Nora will get “inquiry-based learning opportunities through interdisciplinary units called ‘Programs of Inquiry’ (or POI’s).” Lots of big teacher-type words, right? Basically Ms. Zybert explained it this way: “through these “POI’s” students will have the opportunities to address questions about who we are as a society, where we are in place and time, how we express ourselves, how the world works, and how we organize ourselves in sharing the planet.” She said that the show today and the Super Citizen Program tied really well into 5th grade state standards in US history, and that the students could truly connect to the “learning opportunity” that our program presents! Both Ms. Talbert and Ms. Zybert thought that a program that teaches what it means to be an American is very useful for this diverse group of students, many of whom have only been in the US for 2 or 3 years. Ms. Talbert said that they truly know what it is like to come in search of freedom.
Again today, when I mentioned the tour anthem “You in the U.S.A.” I could see the recognition and excitement on the student’s faces because Ms. Talbert had taught the song to the students before the show today! She said that these students will be doing a musical about the writing of the U.S. Constitution in November! I wish so much that I could be here to see that. I’m sure it will be wonderful! What a great and inspirational topic! She also told me that the students so loved “You in the U.S.A.” that they wanted to perform that song outside of class as well! They certainly did a great job of singing it during the program today! I hope that they will get the opportunity to sing it elsewhere!
We also had a good number of special guests at the show today! We were so glad to have Col. Jill Chambers of the US Army, Mr. Michael Peterson who is a songwriter and motivational speaker from Nashville, TN, Dr. Nikki Woodson- Superintendent of Washington Township Schools, and Mr. William Turner & Ms. Cheri Harris from the Washington Township School Board! It was also great to have a few people from the Liberty Learning Foundation offices in Huntsville with us today!
Tomorrow we are off to East Washington Academy in Muncie, Indiana!