by redclay | Jan 8, 2023 | Visual Arts
November and December, 2022: Sharmila had gratitude on her mind and she finished up the year with her Fun Fridays assignment with the Casa Chirilagua kids. In the first three pictures, she asked the kids to create what they are grateful for in two drawings – one picture of what they are grateful for that can buy and one picture of what they are grateful for that they cannot buy.
Now take a looks – it sure seems to us that the kids were much more focused on emphasizing what they cannot buy – family, friends, faith, pets! There’s never a bad time to feel grateful, right?
And the last photo of that little fella proudly showing us his green creation? That was from Sharmila’s November 11 class, where she asked the kids to say “thank you” to veterans. Kinda makes your heart melt, doesn’t it?
by redclay | Jan 4, 2023 | Etiquette
December 20, 2022, Friends of Guest House – Nothing sounds sweeter to a job applicant than “You’re hired!” And today we helped our Friends of Guest House residents get that much closer to hearing those magic words. Our Heard etiquette instructor, Fannie Allen of the Allen Protocol & Leadership Institute, spent weeks teaching them the tips and tricks to land that job. I was asked to serve as a volunteer interviewer that day and evaluate these strong, determined women on their interview skills – their greeting, presence, dress, confidence, etc. As always, I was completely blown away by their unique combination of grit and engaging personality. I would have hired every one of them, and I hope potential employers do as well!
by redclay | Nov 16, 2022 | Visual Arts
November 16, 2022: Just because you haven’t heard from us in awhile doesn’t mean we aren’t hard at work! And we’ll bet no one has worked harder these last few months than our Heard artist teacher Sharmila Karamchandani! Our partner Casa Chirilagua specifically asked for her when their after school program, Fun Fridays, started up again late last August. It was challenging, we told her – she would have two half-hour periods with up to 19 kids each (yes, each. For a total of 38 in a hour!). Could she do it?
Why of course she could! And when it was time to bring in a new art program (we usually switch out every month or two), the kids weren’t having it! They wanted Miss Sharmila, and she’s with her kids til Christmas break. And maybe after that? Who knows?
What we do know is that these kids love her! And we have proof – when a scheduling conflict caused a few kids to miss her class, one little guy had a meltdown at his desk. And why wouldn’t he? Each week Sharmila figures out how to get them to create something fun and interesting in just 25 minutes, using things most of us toss out – paper plates, toilet paper holders, paper bags, and straws. Add some paint, markers, and glue, and voila! Magic!
We’ve compiled a short “best of” here. Can you match the photo to the project?
A. Divers-city: creating inclusive buildings. This is a superman school where kids learn how to become superheroes.
B. Flying saucers from paper plates. This is a party saucer. No reports of abductions.
C. An owl from a toilet paper roll. (We’re all saving our TP rolls now in case she needs more).
D. Straw painting.
E. Abecederians (I had to look that word up).
F. Another Diver-sity building from a boy who always includes a bird in his drawings. Always.
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by redclay | Sep 16, 2022 | Detention Center Writing Contests, Poetry
Correct
by Christ Joshua M. Fletcher
Poetry, Arlington County Detention Facility/Heard/OAR writing contest, August 2022
Correct does it need to be corrected
Correctly has no matter being correction
When a newborn entered its life healthy it’s correct.
As its life have see’s other live’s doing or has done wrong & not applied to it is corrected.
Being aware of the unwealthy & still live correctly does not have time nor space
being within correction.
As thee matter which means subject, object, or person taking up space needs to be corrected.
Correctly when & or as not applied an person of correction will address you correct.
Well no-thing’s nothing will appear & as nobody even no one shall arrive to have you corrected.
Even each entire Dept. sheriff correction officer will be corrected.
Head of chain of command leads correctly
by male man made laws correct, confirm, complete, correction, corrected,
CORRECTLY!?…
by redclay | Sep 16, 2022 | Detention Center Writing Contests, Poetry
by Thomas Carlos Felder, Jr.
Poetry, Arlington County Detention Facility/Heard/OAR writing contest, August 2022
They see balance and they want to challenge or damage.
Thy heart <3 wants thy mind can’t percieve,
Bring in this state of pandemic a lot
of people run off envy and greed.
Our children look up to us
To balance their lives,
but from sitting in a 4×6 cell,
They can’t see how much we cry.
A true balance of life metaphoricly speaking
sometimes our heart <3 will die within.
We all miss our kin
Sometimes we have to tell our children,
beautiful lies to keep them happy inside.
Once is all it takes to upsetting thier normal lives,
That’s why it’s a must to have balance of life! 😊
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