Phalen After School

Busses begin to line up on Cypress Street in front of a big brick building which is an Elementary School. Kids board the busses when the 2:50 pm bell rings. However, the rest of the kids gather in the cafeteria to take advantage of a Community After School Program provided by Phalen Lake Elementary to enrich and advance their education.
Phalen Elementary is a PreK-6 grade school where 669 students fill up throughout the school day. It is a very diverse learning environment, but the Hmong population overpowers as Phalen is the learning home to Hmong refugees. In fact, they are the first Hmong Studies Knowledge Magnet school in the Saint Paul Public Schools. This creates an opportunity for the student to explore a different culture, not only do they provide the kids with Hmong but also Spanish. Phalen is a Core Knowledge School with rigorous courses; this provides students with a clear outline of content to be learned grade by grade without repetition or gaps. One of their educational advantages is their Community After School Program.
As the bell rings first, second, and third graders fill the tables of a small cafeteria. Chaotic and hyperactive, students are jumping and running around all over the place. Teachers begin a countdown as a signal for the students to settle down and become quite. After all the teachers, students and volunteers arrive, they begin to dismiss the students by classrooms.
“Third graders, line up at the door!” the program coordinator with a powerful voice begins to dismiss. The third graders all rush to the door to see who gets to be the line leader because that was the best position to be. We arrive at a smaller classroom, and I feel like a giant, all the desks and chairs were half my size I felt like I was going to break them as soon as I sat down. Right away when the class settles in, I feel third grade pupils staring me down. The teacher instructs the class to take out homework or a book and get to work, “It usually takes a while to... [continues]

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