The Kite Runner inspires CPS students.

Inspired by the best selling book, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, CPS students focus on Afghanistan. CPS students immerse themselves in classroom debates, Afghan dance, film screenings, multicultural day and kite flying to delve deep into the traditions and challenges of modern-day Afghanistan

CPS Faculty, Staff Parents & Students are captivated by The Kite Runner

The College Preparatory School launched a unique 2005-2006 program to broaden the understanding of Afghanistan through literature, film, discussion and activities on campus.  It was inspired by the recent award-winning novel, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, which was distributed to every parent, student and faculty member over the summer. The book was discussed by the faculty, who created curriculum guides to incorporate the themes from the book, and led discussions addressing Afghan culture and history. In history classes, students considered parallels between the Taliban and other reigns, and English classes focused on the themes and characters in Hosseini’s novel.

A highlight of all-school education took place on October 21, 2005, when the CPS Film Club presented a screening of Osama, followed by a panel discussion featuring author Tamim Ansary (West of Kabul, East of New York), John Morrison, Director of Outreach for the California Film Institute, Hosai Mojaddidi, program officer of the Islamic Networks Group, and John Faggi, CPS English teacher, among others. The film event included a raffle with all proceeds going to the Afghan charity, Trust in Education (TIE).  For more information about TIE go to http://www.trustineducation.org/.

Dr. Richard Cushman, the English Department Chair and originator of this project in cross-cultural understanding, says, our goal is "to engage the entire school in its largest sense in one conversation.... (to) come together to talk about a book, about cultures, about values, about experiences, about judgments."  Dr. Murray Cohen, Head of School, echoes this sentiment: "This is the way minds expand and hearts open."