Today we went to visit Lora Tamayo, our civic engagement service learning project home in Bellavista. We were able to tour the school and get a bit of a history lesson about the town before having a chance to play with the kids at their recess. We began the day by meeting at the Sevilla San Justa train station and all took the train down to the town of Bellavista together. From there we walked through a small traditional Spanish town to get to the school. Once at the school we met with the director of the school, Rafael, who was going to lead us around for the day. Rafael took us around the school where we visited each one of the classrooms and briefly met the kids that we would be working with. We were able to see the English, French, computer, math, and science classrooms.
After we visited the classrooms, Rafael gave us a history lesson of the barrio Bellavista so we had a good idea as the heritage of the kids we would be working with and what their background is. Rafael, didn’t speak any English so we had to have our own Sam Reategui translate for us. We learned about how Bellavista was home to work camps during the Franco dictatorship, religious events that take place there, and how their everyday life represents the core values of the town.
Finally, we went outside for the kids’ thirty minute recess. We were expecting the energy, excitement, and general chaos. What we weren’t expecting was to be swarmed by kids of all ages asking us for our signatures. We each probably signed about fifty little pieces of paper by the end of the break, but not before we played with the kids. The centerpiece of recess was two large scale soccer games in the back of the school where at least forty kids in total played. The younger children were separated from the older in a fenced off area where they could play unimpeded by larger, stronger kids. Before we knew it, our time was up, and we left for the train station, looking forward to three weeks of games, kids, and fun.