Steger kids sell Chinese
calligraphy to aid Belize girl

Steger School sixth graders have added something extra special to their study of China. They held a sale of hand-made calligraphy to raise money to aid an 11-year-old from Belize.

One part of their world studies class last semester was to practice Chinese calligraphy--or writing. The kids from the Webster Groves school decided to hold a sale of their best efforts to raise money to help Kenisha Whyte.

The girl came to SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital here last fall for a series of operations. Because of a childhood illness, Kenisha's lower jaw didn't form. She hasn't been able to open her mouth for seven years.

After seeing Kenisha's story, the Steger kids decided to help. The calligraphy sale last month raised over $260. The money went toward Kenisha's big medical expenses.

Teacher Dennis Tullmann said, "The kids really got interested in her plight."

For the sale, many kids did the Chinese symbol for their year of birth. For most, that was either the Year of the Horse (1990) or the Year of the Snake (1989).

But, 11-year-old Anthony Thompson decided to use the Year of the Dragon (1988).

"One of my friends and one of my cousins were born that year," he said.

Other symbols that the kids practiced on in class included the Chinese characters for beauty, eternity, peace and strength. The calligraphy was done with brushes and black paint on paper.

Christopher Goers

Twelve-year-old Christopher Goers decided to use the symbol for the word heavenly as his art work. "I may be able to find a frame for it for the sale," he said.

The framed artwork sold for $3 while unframed calligraphy sold for $1.

Although the study was on China and the Far East, that wasn't the first choice for many as a first foreign trip.

Eleven-year-old Madeline Harding said she wanted her first trip to be to Australia. "I think the television from the Olympic Games inspired me. I liked the pictures of the harbor and the Opera House," she said.

If she went to China, Madeline said she'd like to go to places near the borders of Russia or India.

Hannah Pey

Eleven-year-old Hannah Pey said she wants her first foreign trip to be to France. "Both my older sister and my father speak some French. And I want to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris," she said.

One part of the China study involved kids creating special projects and making presentations in front of the class. One of the projects involved study of the Giant Panda bears of China.

In that project, there was a quiz. One of the questions was: How much do Giant Pandas weigh at birth? The answer: Four ounces. The babies are so small the mother carries them around for weeks so they don't get stepped on or get lost in the grass.

Christopher Goers also included a quiz in his project presentation. His subject was tigers.

A sample question: Why is there a white spot on the back of a tiger's ear?

His answer: "That's so the tiger cubs can follow their mother at night."

Madeline Harding used both library books and the Internet to gather project information. She reported on China's golden monkeys. They live in the mountains near India.

Hannah Pey's project involved a demonstration of Chinese games. "I took the kids outside to demonstrate games such as Tsoo! Tsoo! and Catch the Dragon's Tail," she said.

She described Tsoo! Tsoo! as like Blind Man's Bluff. One of the kids is blindfolded and other kids try to touch the blinded kid without being caught. Once another kid is caught, he or she becomes "it," Hannah said.

In Catch the Dragon's Tail, kids line up behind each other with their hands on the shoulders of the one in front. Then, the leader tries to catch the last kid in line.

She also told how kites were used by Chinese as American Indians used smoke signals.

The China segment is taught by world studies teacher Tullmann. The subjects include transportation, food and work habits along with calligraphy.

Tullmann gathered much of his information during a China trip with 22 other teachers in the summer of 2000. He is scheduled to return for another trip after this school year.