The Courage of Children: Boston and Beyond XXX
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Huy Ngo<br />
Daniel Cesario, Teacher<br />
Joseph Tynan Elementary School<br />
<strong>The</strong> first time I went to school in the United States I was crying because I<br />
didn’t know any English. I was in third grade <strong>and</strong> I just came to <strong>Boston</strong> from<br />
Vietnam. <strong>The</strong> teacher was talking to me <strong>and</strong> I didn’t know what she was saying.<br />
I think she was asking me about my birthday because I knew that word, but I<br />
didn’t know how to say the date I was born. I was thinking that when I got to<br />
school kids would laugh at me because I didn’t know English, but I wanted<br />
to learn. <strong>The</strong>re were only two or three Vietnamese students in the class, <strong>and</strong><br />
they understood what I was saying in Vietnamese <strong>and</strong> what I was talking about,<br />
so I made friends with them.<br />
At lunch time I would sit with the fifth graders, <strong>and</strong> they were nice to me<br />
<strong>and</strong> helped me. When we went outside to play with them they were playing<br />
tag. I asked them, “Can I play?” <strong>and</strong> they let me play. It was really fun. I<br />
started to feel comfortable. I wasn’t nervous anymore.<br />
I was scared the first day I went to school because I didn’t know English. As<br />
time went on, I learned more <strong>and</strong> more English. When I came to Joseph<br />
Tynan the teachers really helped me learn. I had courage by going to school<br />
straight from Vietnam without knowing English. <strong>Courage</strong> helps me to go<br />
to school <strong>and</strong> keep learning!<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Courage</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Children</strong>: <strong>Boston</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Beyond</strong><br />
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