I am from the orange door and the barn,
I am from the apple tree in the back yard,
the red and orange tulips whose long gone petals
I remember as if they were my own,
I'm from a together and close family, from Hannah and Lea,
I'm from eating cereel and doing my homework,
I am from my tooth brosh, from flossing and water.
I am Anders.
This Spring Anders' school embarked on a pretty incredible photography project. A local arts organization hired a photographer to photograph the entire school. It's a pretty diverse school with over 30% of the population from other countries; refugees who have fled their home countries to find safety and a better life here in the United States. The school also happens to be in the poorest section of town and about 60% of our population receives free or reduced lunch. We also attract families and students from though-out the city because of our focus on the arts - graphic designers, architects, artists, writers, and dancers who want an arts based educational experience for their children. You can imagine the spectrum of our demographic. The photographer for this project tried to reflect the visual beauty and the diversity of all 300 students. Teachers in the school had their students write about themselves....and the writing paired with the photo is profound. The individual handwriting and the word choices were just as poignant, just as revealing as the photograph. I love Anders' piece so very much.
