Two large maps recently appeared in the main hallway of Danforth. One is a map of the world, and the other is of the St. Louis metro area. This week, multi-colored flag pins began populating the maps, slowly at first and spreading quickly. Locations are sprouting orange, white, yellow, blue, red, black and green flags. At any given time, clusters of students can be found studying the maps, asking each other for help and explaining locations. Laminated signs over the maps explain the project: “Middle School Rams – Who We Are – Where We’re From.” Each grade has been assigned a color or two, while faculty and staff use black flags. Participants write their initials on their flags before marking their spot.
“We begin each school year with so many new Middle School friends and I wanted to provide a fun opportunity to learn about each other and make connections about our histories,” said Head of Middle School Jen Schuckman, who hung the maps. “I have really enjoyed listening to both students and adults share their stories of how they found their way to MICDS.”
While Middle School students, faculty and staff arrive on campus each day from 53 different zip codes, they’ve come to St. Louis from a much wider area. While the St. Louis map shows a brilliant cluster of flags, many in our Middle School community were born in the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Ukraine, Israel, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Australia, Nigeria, Peru and Uruguay, among other places. We are so fortunate to have such a global community, rich with diverse experience of culture and place, joined together each day in school spirit. If you’re in Danforth Hall in the near future, stop by the maps (located near the Middle School office) and check out where our Rams are from!