Hedy Habra
Still Waters in a Storm enables students to learn and express themselves in a warm and supportive atmosphere. I greatly enjoyed visiting Stephen Haff’s class last Saturday and interacting with his wonderful students. I was happy to address many of them in their native language and still remember their smiles.
Students were tasked by Stephen Haff with reading one of my poems about keys and responding to it in writing. During my visit, students took turns reading their own interpretation of what a key meant to them. I was greatly impressed by the range and originality of their responses. One student imagined a fable illustrating the relationship between a lock and its key. Some students drew vivid and personal scenes around the consequences of losing, forgetting, or misplacing a key. Others explored the symbolic meaning of keys as a means of crossing thresholds leading them to a better future. Many talked about working hard at learning English as the key to opening the door to education and success.
It was a pleasure to witness these students’ creativity and willingness to be heard as they supported each other’s work with heartfelt applause. Their conviviality and interest in improving their knowledge are the result of Stephen Haff’s caring and encouragement. It was a privilege to visit Still Waters in a Storm. It is no wonder Still Waters is called a sanctuary.