The School Children of Zacatecas

The children who arrive early at school have discovered the games on my ipod and gather around me to ask me if they can play the games. I’ve noticed that they praise each other readily and are willing to take turns. I think our U.S. children sometimes have and want more. These students do not come from poor families. Their parents are mostly professionals.
Sister Karla, a young religious, works as Campus Minister and arranges one-day retreats twice a year for each class of both primary and secondary schools. The primary students, in 6-A, 6-B and 6-C each have their own day. She offers a full-day retreat for secondary students. Theirs is on a Saturday.
I mention this because the students seem very capable of integrating their faith, morals and values into their daily life. During the retreat the students open a letter from their parents. Each couple is required to send a letter on their child’s retreat day. Some parents relate their story from the time of their engagement, to their marriage, to the conception of the child. The one letter I heard was very beautiful. It had to have impressed their own child. Love poured out from every line. Each student reads his or her letter in private. Then they read it in their small group and then the students choose the letter that says what each feels their parents would have said to them, too.
There are always the “poor”, undisciplined and not-so-well behaved students, and they seem to have been placed in the same classroom, but mostly the students are very courteous and nice. They would never pass by an adult without the proper greeting…morning, noon or after school. I love that!
The school sure celebrates each patriotic feast. Presently the students are preparing a huge “desfile”…marches, songs, speeches, etc. for the anniversary of the Revolution in Mexico. (I am hoping to attach photos here) They are very--extremely—patriotic, even as the country suffers the dangers of terrorism and terror from the drug lords taking over their cities. The rituals of the colors of the flag are carried out every Monday morning and these rituals are very dramatic and solemn.
The students who carry the flag wear white gloves and march like soldiers—goose step and all. They gather in a huge (it can take 300-400 students) court yard and stand in silent attention with each teacher at the head of their class. The students sing their national anthem and salute the flag with their hand placed on their chest – their hand is palm down parallel to the ground, with elbow lifted in a perfect line. They also recite a promise to be faithful to their country and to the Church under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The principal greets them saying, “Praised be Jesus Christ” and the students respond in unison, “Now and forever. Amen.”