Monday, August 8, 2011

Refugees learn English through visual and performing arts at St. Francis Episcopal Church.


From Texas-

Seven-year-old Pranesh Sopkota's big brown eyes light up when he spots his teacher's iPad. Ritha Fellerman sees this and immediately touches the screen and pulls up a story. Sitting side by side, Pranesh begins to read.

The trust between them has grown during an eight-week summer English-language program at St. Francis Episcopal Church created for refugee children such as him.

They are from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and their families have been relocated to the far Northwest Side, most after experiencing war and bloodshed.

Over the past seven weeks, Pranesh has attended a series of Saturday workshops that combine language skills with visual and performing arts.

The children have built kites and learned to express themselves through dance. They've made puppets and learned to look through a lens and compose a portrait.
What Pranesh most liked were the snacks.


Read more:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Expressing-themselves-in-a-new-land-1756120.php#ixzz1UQwACzZq

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