Sixth and seventh graders at Bruce Randolph School in northeast Denver are the sons and daughters of immigrants. For almost a week now, they have been learning in their English language development class about the contributions of immigrants, President Donald Trump’s rise to power and the vocabulary behind his favorite mode of communication: Twitter.
Those lessons culminated Wednesday when the students’ messages to the president about how their friends and families make America great were posted on the social network via a new classroom account.
https://twitter.com/BRSELD/status/837022193108324353
“Who used the hashtag, ‘immigrantsrock?’ ” asks teacher Mandy Rees, who came up with the idea of tweeting at Trump. “That makes my heart happy. Thatap wonderful.”
Trump’s election and hard-line executive orders on immigration have stoked fears in immigrant communities in Denver and across the country about raids and mass deportations. With so many children of immigrants enrolled in public schools, the classroom has become a forum to meet those fears head on, with educators providing moral support and teaching moments.
https://twitter.com/BRSELD/status/837050824480157697
This week’s classroom exercise at Bruce Randolph began with a challenge. Principal Cesar Cedillo and another school administrator are headed to a conference in Washington, D.C., this month and arranged meetings with members of Colorado’s congressional delegation.
Teachers were asked to come up with an assignment that would produce something the school leaders could take to the nation’s capital to share with the delegation.
“I kept thinking, ‘How does Donald Trump communicate?’ ” Rees said. “Well, he communicates through Twitter. This is the best way.”
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