Lessons in roughing it

Suzie Harrison

For more than 15 years, El Morro Elementary School has led its

students through a sort of time travel. For one day, the children are

able to experience life as it was in the Colonial days.

“It’s taken different directions over the years, now it’s more

educational and hands-on for the kids with crafts and tasks of

Colonial times for them to learn about,” PTA Vice President Tracey

Williams said.

Students and teachers wore clothes that represented the period,

dressing as settlers, pilgrims and Native Americans.

Williams said that they weren’t specifically focused on the first

Thanksgiving, but the general culture and activities.

“It represents when this country was new,” Williams said. “The

kids really get into dressing up.”

The lesson included a trip around the multipurpose room where

children stopped at each station to try something new.

“This is quill writing, they are learning how they wrote in

Colonial days,” Tracey Williams said. “They used feathers -- it looks

like they have a good point and some are more hollow than others.

Presumably you would have to cut it to have a point.”

At another station, students learned of the old-fashioned way to

seal envelopes.

“They love this, they melt the sealing wax and let it dry,”

Williams said.

“I’m making clay pots, turning rope and learning about the

different cultures,” Elizabeth Farnell, 10, said. “I’m learning about

a lot of new things. Outside they have Native American dances -- it’s

a lot different than how we dance.”

Many students felt the highlights included the dance

demonstrations and lessons taught by Jacque Nunez outside near the

tepee.

“The greatest lesson is diversity and respect and to learn that

there are so many different cultures,” Nunez said.

She explained that her family is from the Acjachemen tribe, but

her husband and son are inter-tribal dancers. The students were

mesmerized watching them dance in their full dress.

“They are performing dances Native Americans did across the

nation,” Nunez said. “Now they are into the powwow dance, called the

friendship dance.”

Inside Benito Romeo, 10, was busy working with a leather tool.

“We’re making these necklaces and I am going to make a rope with

my friend,” Benito said. “I’m learning what the pilgrims did in the

past and learning about Indians too.”