Princess Basma Murals & Preschool Classes

This rehab facility & school served both physically disabled & mainstream children. It was just one mile from our JC -- an easy walk for our students.  So they came often for many service opportunities.

The centerwas named for Princess Basma (dressed in white) -- the only sister of Jordan's King Hussein, who came when the facility was first dedicated in 1965.  Beside her is Betty Majaj, the center's director since 1987.  Now over age 80, Betty was still going strong.  Her husband, Amin, was twice Israel's Minister of Health.

Inside was an impressive wall of honored donors, including our JC -- thanks to some very impressive wall murals painted by our students the past five years.

Also inside were rules for visitors, who should "contribute to a quiet atmosphere." (So our outgoing students will come to paint on their off hours--Fridays & Sundays!)  Also inside were some rules made by children themselves. 

Among its many rehab functions were an orthodics room, a computer center and a hydrotherapy pool.

 

In 2010 we only provided bedding -- both for disabled and newborn children and for their mothers, who stayed until they were trained in childcare.  The Winter 2011 term of students resumes the painting of more murals.

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MURALS PAINTING  Without the cheery murals painted by BYU students the prior five years, this institutional facility would be quite drab.

In 2007, they painted block cartoon figures on the long front hallway.  Further down that hall, Winter 2007 BYU students painted out the gray walls with a landscape that included more colorful animals.

Winter 2008 students boldly added a rainbow arching over all the world.

The Winter 2009 term did a huge sun & lightning storm over a field of flowers.

 

In Spring/Summer 2009, students did a nature scene in yellow, orange and brown. More artists in Fall 2009 took their work into the heavens.

Winter 2010 students painted mountain scenes on walls near this ceiling.

They also went Under the Sea to paint these high adjacent murals downstairs.

 

One of my favorites was in a downstairs pre-school classroom.  A boy reading good books brought a parade of imaginary animals into his life -- done by the Summer 2010 BYU students.

Winter 2011.  Now it was our 2nd group of students' turn. In their lunch room was this large wall -- fragmented with parallel pipes, a radiator and a light fixture. Across the room were these life-like animals in the African veldt.  Could our work compare to that professionally-painted mural?

Two students (Greg Coy & Martin Milius) first did this sketch of two kids entering a fantasy world of transportation through the pages of a book. Marilyn was included only for perspective, but she enhances any scene.

On 2/16/11 (Sunday), when school was out, six students came to start painting. First they outlined the lower easy figures, using the scaled sketch.

Human figures required the tracing of real people. A prop plane was also traced.  Marilyn and Jill Judd -- an accomplished artist and faculty wife -- oversaw their progress.

Marilyn

Soon permanent lines took shape on the wall.

Ten more students appeared after lunch to apply some color -- both to the walls and to themselves.

 

The pipes turned into flagpoles and the light fixture into the sun. Students turned into comedians..










Next came the finishing work, as Marilyn repeated her perspective pose. This group made great progress on their first day. With mid-terms, papers, trips and other coming conflicts, the job wasn't finished until mid-March.

On 3/11/11 (Friday), students returned to fill in blank spaces.

Again, students painted themselves -- this time as Greg Coy (and Hitler) look-alikes.

Half of this "Day 2 Crew" had done no prior painting. 

Two days later (3/13/11, Sunday), the core group returned for more detail work -- by Jill, Skylar, Celeste, Martin, Lani, Caitlin, Piers, Chelsea & Marilyn.  With work done on balloons, hang glider, sail boat, train, sun, kite, flag, palm trees, city, lower walk & wall, the job was finished in one more session.

On 4/1/11, they finished the big balloon, page-turn, birds, kite tail, flag logo "Basma," BYU logo & names.  (Marilyn & I were both sick with fevers that day).  On Fri. 4/8/11 (the 6th session), a protective clear coat of varnish was applied.

Princess Basma's coordinator (Saida, in wheelchair) highly approved.  This wall will never be the same, much to Basma children's delight.

Summer 2011.  Betty Majaj asked our next term to do the adjoining wall.  Our creative students did it as a mosaic.  First, they found online an Arabic fairy tale of Sinbad.  On Thurs. 6/2/11 a mother & child saw it and said, "Oh, Sin-de-bad!"

Next, Megan Nuttal sketched it into 100's of tiny mosaic pieces.  These were scanned into a computer and projected onto the wall -- each piece numbered by colors.  Major painting began on Wed., 6/8/11. Jill Judd was very pleased.

On Monday, 6/13/11, this group filled in more mosaic colors.

On Sun. 7/10/11 the mural was finished, along with an arabic-style BYU logo.

On Fri. 7/29/11 they sealed it with varnish.  Megan's crew did this in 5 sessions.

Both walls were finally done!  It looked great -- but very different than the adjoining Winter term mural.

 

Fall 2011.  Next, we did a dull gray wall across the "Dining Hall."  Robin Dailey's design transformed it.  On Tues. 10/18/11 she, Caleb Cunningham (Comm. Chair) & Jeff Nuckles (Comm. Coord'r) led a crew (Sarah M., Adam P., Kate P. & Taylor B.) to scrape & chip off old paint.  It was hard work -- and with less visible results than applying paint colors.

On Thurs. 10/20/11 Caleb Valdez brought Amy, Cali M. & Eliza S. (L-R) to finish prep work & did a white primer coat.  Alyse W., Jeff, Robin, Melissa M. & Whitney L. finally put up the first colors on Sun. 10/23/11. 

After Jordan, students came on Sunday, 10/30/11.  Robin's scanned images were projected onto the wall.  They traced outlines with pencil & filled in the continents with grass green. 

Allyson R., Jeff, Sarah, Kate & Robin (L-R) were pleased with progress. 

One mishap:  In the newest van driven by Jen Harper, a 10-gallon paint can wasn't properly sealed & tipped over.  Glad they didn't need white paint!

It happened on the Basma driveway, right next to the front entry! 

On 11/7/11 we returned to paint landmarks for the continents, a border & some titles in English ("Imagine") and Arabic ("Dream"). 

This was the sketch that Robin had earlier projected & outlined on the wall.  (The landmarks & words were barely visible -- but they were there.)  It turned out even better than the sketch.

C'mon, guys.  Show a little enthusiasm! (L-R:  Jeff, Kara S., Lizzie W., Suzie B., Robin & Elyse B.)

After Galilee, 10 students on 11/28/11 finished Imagine, 6 continental landmarks & the BYU Logo.   Two small disabled children watched with glee.

Adam Farnes & Lesley Gerber did Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock & St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square, Moscow.

All were pleased with the results -- especially Jeff (left), Robin & Cassie P.  Other painters were Alyse, Kristine Jolley, Shalyn B. & Kaylie H. -- plus 3 locals.

Jeff made friends with the high schoolers -- who watched these Americans thru the windows with great curiosity for over an hour.

We are glad they liked us -- and our work.  It was great community PR!

Winter Term Students came with Jen Harper in Feb. '12 to add 8 children in ethnic costumes.  

Painting the Jewish child next to the Arabic one became an issue.

So he was converted into a basic European or American boy.

On 2/19/12 Marcie Prince, Erin Greenwood, Crystal Redmond, Cassy Lang, Lizzie Ostler, Courtney Neves & Sterling May applied a clear coat varnish to protect paint colors.  The work on this mural was now done. 

While there, they also varnished other murals that had not been protected.

Each student group over the past 5 years has made valued & lasting contributions.  Many more walls remain for future students to paint. 

Summer Rehab Kids.  Jill, Erica Van Slooten & Meeshell Jewell loved & played with children of all ages while walls were being painted.

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PRESCHOOL TEACHING: 

On 2/16/11 (Wed.), we came with 3 "quiet" artistic students and Jill Judd, who last year oversaw the murals painted at our JC children's playground.

The children were adorable, greeting us with shouts, songs and handshakes when the headmaster Jamilla introduced us as the "Mormoni." We returned later to play and work with their six pre-school classes.

They cheered about our coming to do more murals like these, painted in 2010.

In March '11 we brought the first students (Winter Term) to teach and play with children (ages 3 to 6) in six preschool & kindergarten classes.  To begin, our students met the children at a combined school celebration.

Then we returned on Tues. 3/29/11 with 2 or 3 students to play games & sing songs, like "London Bridge is falling down" and "Heads, shoulders, knees & toes."

They also drew shapes ("circle, square," etc.) and recited some English words.

Marilyn mainly organized things & loved doing it -- even though she didn't feel well and had a 103 degree fever the next day.

This became one of our students' favorite community activities -- true also for the Basma children (& for Mallory).  Summer Term '11 students also enjoyed this. 

On Fri. 6/10/11, Erica and 17 other BYU students came for more fun -- on Basma's last school day before letting out for summer.

In addition to games and songs, they also did some serious face painting.

Rob Hamilton & Julie Rencher wanted to take these kids home with them.

Jamilla (headmaster) also got into the spirit of it!  A good time was had by all.

Fri. 7/29/11 was the last time for Meeshel & others at Basma (to seal their mural). 

Our Fall Term students only came once, on 11/28/11.  Over 20 BYU students taught 4 preschool classes.  Then Margaret Ludlow came for several weeks to prepare lesson plans & materials for the school & future BYU groups to use.

(Above) Koryl, Amy, Lindsey, Kaleb & Kate enjoyed their class.  (Below) the same was true for Cali, Tiffany, Asia, Jeff and Eliza.

All 4 classes learned the words to "It's a Small World" -- what Mike Ohman played on the organ at their JC tour on 11/1/11 and the theme of their wall mural.

(Above rt.) Liz W., Lacey, Shannon, Marianne & Whitney L.  taught their class.  Children made stick puppets to dramatize It's a Small World.

Kaleb Valdez's magic tricks were a big hit with all the classes.

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BASMA COMES TO THE JC.  Olives are harvested only in October. So after their 55 kindergartners studied the many uses & processing of olives, they came to the JC on a bus field trip 10/30/11.  Lined up outside our front gate, they were eager to see what was inside.

After we show them our oldest & newest olive tree, Marilyn pointed the way to our great grindstone.  Jamilla (their headmaster) helped them gather there.  Shari Ohman explained how the stone wheel crushed our olives.

All 55 children got a turn at the big wheel -- even the little wheelchair girl (thanks to Margaret Ludlow).

Marilyn showed how crushed olives were placed in hemp baskets.  Then Joe explained how the great screw press extracted oil.

Next Joe showed them the beam press.  Everyone got into the act there.

Moving down stairs to our terrace (thanks to Val & Arlene Chapman), they surrounded the bronze models.

Everyone lined up to hear Jamilla tell about the Old City, both past & present.

Next, they filed up more stairs into our large auditorium -- for a real treat.

First, Mike Ohman told them about the grand organ while Jamilla translated.

Then Mike played two pieces on the organ -- one he said was "to make the lion roar," and another one "to make the kitten purr."

The children were delighted.  Most had never before heard an organ played.

Marilyn & Jamilla told them the 2nd piece was  It's a Small World.  All joined hands to show it can be "A world of laughter, a world of joy." 

Then they quietly & happily left the auditorium, again in single file.

Now it was time for them to play -- on grass that some had never before seen.  First, they ran & ran, in circles on both front lawns.

Jamilla also led them in a run -- and was buried in a dog pile. 

But she came up smiling -- as always.

Then she led them on a "night crawl" to another spot for their favorite activity -- rolling down grassy hills.  Marilyn & Jennifer Harper watched them in all directions.

Next, it was time to gather on another mound -- to shout with joy ...

... to sing, to listen and to learn.

Then they had to leave.  But they may always remember this little excursion.  Betty & Jamilla said they should repeat this each year.

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FAREWELL TO BASMA.

On 2/28/12, we came with the Schafers to see Betty one last time.  She will be retiring later this year after 25 years as director.  She gave us these beautiful tiles for our kitchen table.  But she deserved a plaque on their wall of honor more than anyone.

We also stopped to see Jamilla and her preschool kids. 

All were as enthusiastic as always, answering in English:  "Good morning, teacher" and "We are fine, thank you."  If only they could always be this happy.

Our USA friends shipped over 100 English illustrated books that arrived just in time.  They will be used by BYU students in future classroom instruction -- as directed by Margaret Ludlow, one of the faculty wives. 

We went back before hosting our last tour on Wed., 2/29/12.  Arab children are not used to extra reading -- but had lights in their eyes.  They saw photos of our own kids with these same books -- and will be delighted to read these!  Who can be cuter than these Palestinian kids? 

In addition, the Grahams (from Galilee) will soon be teaching teachers how to teach ESL.  We feel as close to this charity as any we have served..