Teachers, mentors steer youngsters' expression

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Every Friday night, when most kids are playing video games or Instant Messaging their friends, about a dozen students at Kupono Learning Center in McCully gather in the brightly lit classroom.

Part of a children's writing group at the Kupono Learning Center were, from left, 11-year-old David Imanaka, 8-year-old Michael Imanaka, 11-year-old Julie Yamashita, 8-year-old Jamie Yamashita and 12-year-old Rachel Yamashita (standing). Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

These kids write.

And on one recent Friday, with writer-in-residence Lois Ann Yamanaka, they poured their souls onto clean sheets of folder paper, sharing their emotions about and reactions to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"It was such a catharsis for them," said Geri Kunishima, founder and director of Kupono. "We didn't know how much it had affected them. They wouldn't stop writing. They had to get it out."

After a discussion about the tragedy, they went to work, crafting poems, fastening their feelings to words.

And writing helped them sort through their emotions.

"In a way ... (writing poetry) is expressing yourself without saying it to someone's face," said 12-year-old Rachel Yamashita, a seventh grader at Kupono from 'Aiea. "You're just saying it to yourself."

Writing about their feelings during these confusing times has helped many children and teens make sense of what's happened.

"It helps to get my feelings out," said 7-year-old Tae Keller, a third grader from Waikele. "I like to share (my poetry) with everybody."

Added 11-year-old David Imanaka: "It felt good getting it all down on paper."

In this environment, where sharing and listening are critical parts of the writing process, the kids are not afraid to share their feelings.

"Poetry gets to the deep, sensitive, soulful expressions," Kunishima said. "And they have learned not to be embarrassed by their feelings."

Sharing emotions

Many teachers around the state encouraged their students to write or illustrate their feelings, hoping it would be way for them to deal with the unexpected feelings of uncertainty and confusion. Suddenly the world wasn't safe anymore.

Some students were afraid of another attack, of planes crashing or buildings collapsing.

Some were saddened by the amount of suffering and loss of life.

Others were confused, unable to fathom how the attack could happen in a country they've always felt was safe and exempt from terrorist acts and war.

"I was sad," admitted 11-year-old Kylie Oshiro, a sixth grader at Kupono. "And, in a way, I didn't believe something like this could happen."

"I was amazed how much they understand at this age, and how deeply they understand," said Susan Fushikoshi, a third-grade teacher at Kamehameha Schools.

She cut folder paper in the shapes of hearts and had her students write prayers and messages on them. After pasting the hearts onto construction paper, the kids decorated their prayers with stars, American flags, rainbows and clouds. They serve as reminders, hung on bulletin boards in the classroom, of the Sept. 11 tragedy.

In addition to writing short essays and poems, the students also interviewed four people about what Americans can do to be peaceful citizens. They came back with a variety of suggestions, from not fighting with your siblings to praying for others. Fushikoshi plans on putting the suggestions into a booklet to be distributed to students, parents and administrators.

Writing "helps them deal with emotions," said the 25-year teaching veteran. "A lot of them had things to say. Individually, they have some deep thoughts they want to express, and writing is a way for them to do it."

Sense of patriotism

Many teachers were amazed at how much pride their students had for the United States, which came through in their essays and drawings.

"They are just as patriotic as a lot of adults," said Anitra Peterson, a second-grade teacher at Koolau Baptist Academy, who had her students write about what America means to them. "I wanted to give them that chance to express what was in their hearts."

Ann Tamashiro, a fifth-grade teacher at Lunalilo School, noticed the writing assignment sparked a sense of patriotism in her students.

"The writing didn't just address the tragedy, but it helped solidify their sense of what it means to be an American," she said. "Why are we wearing red, white and blue? Why are we wearing flags? We're not just citizens in a classroom, but in the school, in the McCully community, in the state and in the nation."

And that patriotism came through in her students' writings.

Brysen Moniz wrote: "I'm proud to be an American. America is a great place because we respect each other and our country that believes in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Added Eric Yan: "To me, America is one of the best places to be."

Patriotism surfaced at all levels, in first-grade classrooms to high school English classes.

"I knew they would be impacted (by the tragedy), but I didn't realize that they would become so patriotic," said Stephanie Grande-Misaki, an eighth-grade English teacher at Kapolei Middle School. "I thought more of them would be more emotional about it. But it was nice to see them think of themselves as Americans."

With Hawai'i so far away from the rest of the United States, it's understandable for some residents to feel distant and removed, she said.

"The students identify more with their cultural backgrounds," she said.

But their sense of national identity and pride in being American resonated in her students' writings.

"As an American I feel proud of my country and will stand with all other Americans here in the United States to give support to our president and to show these terrorists that we all stand as one to protect our country," wrote Liann Hamamoto, one of her students. "As an American I feel strongly that what has happened has affected each and every one of our lives in such a way that a lot of us still cannot grasp what has happened."

Wrote classmate Candance Estanique: "I've never known how it felt to have my freedom taken from me and suddenly have it given back. I think I never really did appreciate my freedom ... I'm honored and lucky to be an American citizen."

Let freedom ring

What stuck Fushikoshi the most when reading the students' responses to the attack was their ability to grasp and understand intangible terms, such as freedom and liberty. "We never talked about freedom before," she said. "We take it for granted. But as we discussed it, then they were more appreciative."

Many teachers had to quickly figure out how to bring these terms to their students' level of understanding. "To them, it's simple things," Tamashiro said, "like being able to choose what TV shows to watch. It's such a difficult concept to teach them in a few days. I had to break it down quickly and to their level."

Kunishima added: "By writing, they could express their great sorrow and confusion. Now they are lost innocents. Writing gives them the opportunity for them to express themselves, gives them another bridge into another world."

Casting God as protagonist

Here are poems written by the writing club at the Kupono Learning Center: