Our schedule for today was packed as we had our first day of school. The boys got up at 6:15 AM, got ready, made themselves breakfast and packed lunches, then it was off on a 25 minute ride to school for the day! Below are some reflections of their day: 
  
Today was our first day at the De La Salle Blackfeet school. We prepared the night before to get an idea of what the environment was going to be like and what was going to be expected of us. We were split into groups of two for the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade, and the rest were helping the 4^th and 5^th graders (They put both younger grades together as the “Little Flower” school). Of those 6, some of us rotated out to spend time assisting Brother Dale.

            Being with the 7^th graders was a shock. Middle schoolers have a lot of energy and are less mature than high school students, but the way the children treated the teachers and each other wasn’t always the best. Growing up with Catholic Schools has led to a relatively sheltered life, and as much as I was prepared, most of the conversations and interactions were unexpected. I suppose some of what we saw was to be expected (many students didn’t want to do their work or listen to the teacher for example). As much as my patience was tested today, it was an opportunity to reflect on the environments that these kids are growing up in. My favorite part of being with the 7^th graders, however, was the way they bonded together during the breaks. This is a very tight-knit community, and although very physical, many interacted through handshakes, dap-ups, and (rarely) hugs. It helps me remember that these are still children who are having a childhood. We learned a lot about the students, some come from really difficult situations, others from loving homes. One of the things I am happy about is that we are able to help some of the forget about their difficulties for a little bit while they are here.

            Another group of us were assigned to the 4^th and 5^th graders. As we began the day, we quickly realized how academically behind the younger kids truly were. As students enter De La Salle from the public system, many are behind in their reading and don’t have a good foundation or interest to learn or pay attention. Being that young, their attention span and interest in anything was so short that they burned out quick. We only had about half of the class actually show up, which made it a “tamer” day (still quite the sight). Although they were sometimes full of energy, at least in a safe place. I see a future in many of the students, which is inspiring. One girl we spent time with today was well ahead of all of the other kids. She was almost fluent in the Blackfeet language and math was her strong suit. I bet when she gets out of De La Salle, she will push herself in high school and that is truly inspiring to me. I forgot what it was like to be a kid, where the only interest was to have fun, and to be honest, I had fun. Yes, I am exhausted. Yes, I plan on napping when we get the chance, but it was an eye opening and valuable experience today in the classrooms. ~Henry W. & Sebastian G.

 

This evening, in prayer, we reflected on out first full day helping in the school and our thoughts on the spirit of Browning and the people we have met. Some of us have shared how frustrating working with the students was at the beginning as we are not used to the lack of discipline (thank you CHC). Although frustrating, we discussed how having patience is important and how giving ourselves to the students as a role model and being a good example is the best thing we can do for them. No matter how difficult it gets to stay positive and have smile on your face when you’ve been in a loud, chaotic classroom for hours on end, at the end of the day you get out what you put in. In order to have a meaningful experience and give the most out of time, we have to be all in. ~ Sean F.