Spotlight on
Stillwater Junior High
Stories come to life for SJH students
Stories of a civil war, which was fought halfway around the world, are becoming a bit more personal and relevant for Stillwater Junior High School students. Ninth grade students in Advanced Placement Human Geography classes are currently reading and responding to the book They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky. On Dec. 7 and 8 co-author of the book, Benjamin Ajak, will speak first to the community, and then with the ninth graders in their classrooms.
Ajak is one of The Lost Boys of Sudan; 27,000 boys orphaned during the 2nd Sudanese Civil War. Ajak and his peers undertook an incredible journey to refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya, while enduring separation from their families, war, hunger, wild animals and disease. In 2001, 3,800 of The Lost Boys resettled in the United States and faced the challenge of assimilating into a new country and culture.
By reading the story of Ajak and his friends, the students are connecting important concepts of culture, migration, and war and learning about the refugee experience. The story is also inspiring them to think globally and become more socially aware. Students are raising money for H20 For Life, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing clean water and sanitation to school children around the world. SJHS students and staff have set a goal of $5,000 to help drill a well for a village in Southern Sudan. Monies donated to H2O For Life will be directed to Water For Sudan, an organization founded by one of the Lost Boys that carries out well drilling operations within Sudan.
Community members are invited to Benjamin Ajak’s presentation on Monday, December 7th at 7 p.m. in the Stillwater Junior High School Auditorium. Tickets are available during school hours in the SJHS Main Office. Students are requesting a $5 donation to H2O For Life/Water For Sudan. For ticket information, please call 651-351-6905.
For more information about They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky and the Lost Boys, see http://www.theypouredfire.com/
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