Honorable
Mention - Elementary El Reno... The last piece of a puzzle. It is the most frustrating and the most rewarding of all. Until it is in the rest can never be seen as complete - always imperfect, always lacking. But with this final stroke the individual fragments are made whole. This is a key element in the collage You Will Fit Right In! As the last piece, adorned with an original drawing of Lincoln Elementary, is graciously moved into place by loving arms, laden with pictures of the schools' teachers, we are reminded that it is with cooperation of a community that what was once seemingly a disconnected oddly shaped piece is in fact the perfectly shaped completion of a whole. Since the children of Lincoln Elementary School were the primary creators of our collage this year we thought it only appropriate for them to also be the primary authors of it's accompanying essay. Out of their innocence and simply stated observation we see the profound reflection of a true sense of community complete with play, prayer, hard work, and learning. "The colors are pretty. They are red and black just like our school's colors!" stated one little girl. "The red reminds me of the red dirt on the playground" added another. Indeed the colors are representative of Lincoln Elementary but also they are symbolic of the past and present of our great state. The red pieces of the puzzle help us to remember that we really are living in "The Home Of The Red Man." Just as the meaning of the Indian word "Oklahoma" indicates. On these pieces we find pictures of the Cheyenne Arapaho nation and Native American individuals which give us such a rich background. Once this land was the playground of the Cheyenne Arapaho and many other Native American tribes. The red dirt dusted their feet and their footprints are still visible in our lives and values today. The black pieces provide a perfect background for letting the faces and buildings of today shine upon brightly. For it is the people of the community that El Reno honors most. And just as the most honored are it's children so the children are the most abundant participants in the collage. All of the artwork depicting El Reno was drawn by children. "We drew the buildings because they are old and they have stood the test of time." came a little voice as we discussed the art on the collage. "My friend drew that one. and we have been friends for a long time." he continued. The buildings have stood the test of time and likewise so has the entire town. Like the buildings the ability for a community to last is determined largely by the foundation given. As we scan the collage we see pictures of our churches, parents, and friends. These things make up the real foundation of El Reno. Although they are seemingly separate entities the puzzle format reminds us of how they must all interlock at some point to create a strong structure able to stand the test of time. "The arms remind me of someone reaching out to hold a baby." observed one child. What a perfect analogy to communicate the cradling care that must be taken with the guiding of so many to a place in the world created just for them. A place that would be void without the one individual piece of the puzzle, the one individual, business, family, person that fits just there. "El Reno is a safe place." This is a comment made by many of the boys and girls of the school while working on the collage. When we asked them what they wanted people all over the United States to know about El Reno this was the number one answer. How interesting that safety would be the most important piece of information that the children wanted the collage to convey. Safety is something only professed by those who know that they are a part of their surroundings that cannot be replaced. Safety is a feeling of protection by the community. These children know that they are the bright face standing out from many. In other words they know that they Fit Right In! Collage Essay Authors: Kent
Owens 3rd grade, Julian Arvizu 3rd grade, |