Post 2: Community Posts

Polish School Community

     On every Friday night, I attend Kolbe School of Polish language. Classes are held at St. Constance School and I am in the second year of high school. Students enter through a big glass door and walk a few steps on a large burgundy carpet that leads to the black and white stairs.  A big brown door leads to a hallway of classrooms. My room is down the dark hallway and to the left. Most of the lights come form the exit signs. One side of my classroom is covered in green tile and the other has old windows. The walls are covered with motivational posters from the American school that uses it daily and their classwork. All around the bottom of the room are storage shelves and the back of the room has a Smart Board that we aren't allowed to touch. We sit at long wooden tables with black tops that are arranged  in two rows with six tables in each one. Only two students can sit at a table in a blue chair with metal legs. My teacher's desk is old and white with a gray top and several metal drawers. She sits in a big chair with large black cushions. The front of the room has a dry erase board and the door is to the left of it.

     In my Polish school class, we are expected to give our phones to the teacher as soon as the bell signaling the start of class rings. We must be in our seats and silent. We are also expected to have our homework complete and to throw out any chewing gum or food out. As a member, I am required to know the language fluently and be able to speak and read it. Whenever a secretary comes in or walks out of the classroom, we are required to stand up for her until she says to sit. We must also be willing to learn the literature, grammar, and history of Poland. Everyone except for the teacher have the same responsibilities. My teacher has to be able to control us, teach us, and make lesson plans. 

     I feel comfortable in this community because I am surrounded by people of my own age and of the same culture. This is my community because I feel like an important and welcomed part of it and it includes others attending for the same purpose. We are all proud of our Polish heritage and are willing to learn more about our backgrounds. Even though attending Polish school is not mandatory like normal school, I attend because I want to make my family proud and master the language so I can talk with family in Poland.

St. Constance Parish Volleyball Community

    The St. Constance Parish volleyball team has practices every Thursday night at 8 o'clock. We meet in the Handzel Center Gym. It is a large gym with white tile floors and is painted with St. Constance School colors: red, black, and white. It is fully equipped with a basketball and volleyball court. 

    Being on the team, we are expected to show up to practice on time and ready to play. We are expected to do our best at practice and be open to improvement. We are required to set up the net and get a ball as soon as we arrive and do this efficiently. We must also be respectful to our coach and teammates. Our coach is expected to give back the respect that we give her. She must come to games and practices and make our weaknesses our strengths. 

    This is my community because we all enjoy playing competitive volleyball. I feel comfortable in it because I have fun playing and I know my teammates do to. We all cheer for each other and bring each other up if one of us is down. I know that we can all count on each other and that no matter what happens, we will all be their for each other. 

   

Family Community

     My family lives in the Jefferson Park neighborhood on the northwest side of Chicago. The 5 of us live in a single family home decorated with earthy tones. The walls are painted a light green that matches perfectly with our brown coaches and champagne colored pillows. When entering through the front door, the first place you see is the living room. It leads to our dining room with its large wooden table and is separated from the kitchen by a wooden swinging door. To the left of the dining room is my brothers' bedroom, the bathroom, and my parents' bedroom. The stairs to the second floor of the house are in the dining room and lead to my bright, sea-foam colored room, the playroom, my dad's office, and a small bathroom. The stairs to our basement are in the kitchen and lead to a bar, office space, "man cave", bathroom, and laundry room. We also have a porch and a small backyard.

     In my family, my brothers and I have several responsibilities and chores. We are all expected to start our homework as soon as we come home and keep our rooms tidy. I, being the oldest and least lazy, have the most chores to do. I have to vacuum, do the dishes, help my mom with the laundry and cooking, iron my own clothes, help my youngest brother with his homework, dust the house along with my dad's help, and set the dinner table with my little brother's help. We are also expected to obey our parents and help them with whatever they are doing. In addition to cleaning the bathrooms, cooking, doing the laundry, and driving us to extracurricular activities, my mom and dad work to support the family. My grandparents come over every morning to take my brothers to school and to pick all of us up and watch us until our parents come home.

     I feel comfortable in this community because I have grown up in it and it is the first community I have belonged to. I know that the people in it care for me and love me no matter what happens. I understand that even though I may not like the choices my parents make for me, they are for my greater good. I have known the people in this community my whole life and I know that we all love each other even though we may not show it. I also know I can always depend on these people and that they can rely on me.