Lessons at the Kitchen Table

As Ms. Mason, principal of Iona Barnes Elementary,¹  prepares for the new school year, she hears a knock on her office door. She greets translator Zanab Omir and the Hassan family, who have just arrived from Somalia. Looking at the family and speaking through Mr. Omir, Ms. Mason says, “We are so happy that you are here. Let me show you a book made by a Somalian student that shows photographs of our school.”

Ms. Mason is looking forward to learning about the Hassan family's experiences and expertise. Iona Barnes Elementary educates students from many parts of the world. Teachers frequently visit the families of new immigrants who have enrolled their children. Because teachers have put in the groundwork to make these encounters enriching, the school has developed warm relationships with immigrant families.