Grade 4th and 6th students had a truly unique opportunity last month when they spoke with Syrian refugees Bana and Fatemah Alabed via Skype.
Fatemah, Bana and the rest of the Alabed family were forced from their home in Aleppo in December. The pair gained notoriety after Fatemah started a Twitter account for her daughter Bana to document their experience of trying to simply stay alive while under constant threat of bombing.
Both grades had been studying migration for the past couple months. Their studies covered the different reasons why people migrate, and this interactive experience furthered their learning. Fatemah began with an overview of their experience in Aleppo before students asked questions such as “What did you have to leave behind when you left?” and “Why do you think the war is still going on?”
“Having the opportunity to converse with the Alabeds was a lived experience of solidarity. We walked away from the dialogue with hearts broken open and more united to our Syrian sisters and brothers,” said Grade 6 Teacher Lindsay Sudeikis.
