So there isn’t too much new to report. Work hard and a lot at school. We have another holiday this week. Tuesday is indepenace day (29 years I believe) not sure what I’ll be doing for it. Perhaps just relaxing.
Something big does happen this week. Friday will in the 6th month mark of me leaving and Saturday will be 6 months in country. That just seems crazy! I can’t believe its been 6 months already!! Time is flying!
Something.. small that happens at 6th months is we start to have to pay duty on packages…so here are some tip if your going to be sending me something!
-No tags… take off all prices and tags
-Call EVERYTHING used or old or something.
-The cheaper you say things are the less likely it is that some guy in the post office will look in it and the less likely they are to charge me $$$$$
Ok I think that’s all I have… Thank you Thank you Thank you to EVERYONE who has sent me letters or packages, you have no idea how much they mean to me or how much they make my day! I’m really going to try to start writing more letter… but I wouldn’t hold your breath
Now last but not least I’m way behind on my Happy thoughts of the day so here you go!!
~We choose our joys and our sorrows long before we experience them.
-Kahlil Gibran
~Knowledge plus character- that is the goal of true education.
-MLK Jr.
~The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.
-JP Morgan
~Listen and make the connections. Between you and them- make the connections
-ASB “Voices”
~Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
-MLK Jr.
~Kathleen Kelly: Why did you stop by again?
Joe Fox: I wanted to be your friend.
-You’ve got mail
~Connect one community with another and build some real power
-ASB “voices”
~Many fine things can be done in a day if you don’t always make that day tomorrow
~Lovers embrace that which is between them rather than each other.
-Kahlil Gibran
Monday, September 20, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
School, School, and more School!!!
Well school officially started Wed but we held school on Tuesday to get kids into their classrooms to meet their teachers. Tuesday went really well. We all met in the morning as a school and Mr. Cass had me introduce myself to the school once again with all the other staff. This year we have 7 new teachers, 17 total. 19 “staff” if you include the principle and myself. That is a pretty big school in Belize. I’m really happy being at a bigger school because I have the advantage of having a non-teaching principle. I think any school with under 200(?) students the principle is also a teacher. In Hopkins this is not the case. This is nice for me since I can pretty much bug my principle whenever!
School is from 8:30am (I usually roll in at 8-8:15, that way I can say hi to the teachers and visit for a few minutes) at 10:15 we have a school wide break, the kids run around like crazy and the teachers can have a moment to relax, think of it as recess. We break for lunch at 11:30 and everyone heads home. The afternoon session starts at 1:00pm but I try to be there a few minutes early once again. For the infant I and II classes (kindergarden and 1st grade) school ends at 2:30. At this time the whole school takes another 15 min break, than the rest of the school has class again until 3:30. Right now I’m working full days Mon-Friday. This may not be the case all year. Right now I have plenty to do and I have a feeling it won’t change much. But Once I’m in charge of the library I may only work at school in the morning. We will see how things work out. Most volunteers take off Friday to do research, right now I’m not but I might start. Once again.. we’ll see!
Well after we all met on Tuesday I was working around room to room saying hi and seeing how things were going. I stuck my head into stardard 5 (like 6th grade?). These were the kids that I spent the most time with back in the spring and they asked me to come in and help. I than spent the afternoon helping them and their teacher put up posters and clean up the room. On my way out the standard 6 (7th and 8th grade?) teacher stopped, he is new to our school but I worked with him over the summer for summer school. He informed me that a few of his students were having some trouble reading and wondering if I could help. Of course! That’s my job! I suggest that I test the class and see their reading levels. He agreed and suggested we start Thuresday! Game on! My first real job!! I agreed and Today (I’m writing on Thuresday night) I started to test some of his kids.
Yesterday (Wednesday) I started the day out by sorting out all the new text books and delivering them to the class rooms. There were A LOT of books and the school is two different building and two level and it was about 1094 degrees out.. needless to say it was a LONG morning! But I was so excited to have work I didn’t even care!! After I was done with that I walked around and poked my head in some classrooms. We have some amazing teachers this year! I’m really excited to continue to work with them. Two of our teachers are doing their internship and in Dec they will be a certified teacher. This is a big deal in Belize. Right now out of 16 teachers two are certified or have bachelors in primary ed…actually bachelors period. Anyway they are both amazing teachers and seem egger to work with me! Which is awesome because I’m excited to work with them!!
I spent my afternoon observing standard 3 and checking out the preschool. I didn’t do a ton of “work” after the books, but I am starting to build relationships with some of the teachers and to me that’s really exciting! To be honest... I’m not actually sure what I did for the rest of the day but I promise I was busy and working!
Today was a little more laid back. I started off by teaching standard II for the first part of the morning. Their teacher is still on maternity leave and won’t be back until Monday. So the principle is teaching it right now and he needed to sort some stuff in infant I out. Normally I’m really against subbing but they were in a jam so I offered. He knows it’s not something that will be happening all the time so I’m ok with it! After break I started testing standard 6 on their reading level. Most of the students are doing pretty well. However there is a student who doesn’t even know his letters, it breaks my heart. He can’t read at all. He’ll be done with school this year, he’s been passed along because of “social reasons” meaning his old enough. But oh man.. I guess his siblings were all the same way but nothing has ever been done to help him. His teacher and I chatted and we both know we aren’t going to be able to get him to read enough to get to high school but we can help him with some life skills. Hopefully when he finishes school he’ll at least know his ABC’s. We will see, I am excited about how much his teacher seems to care and want to help. That’s always nice!
Tomorrow I’m doing a read aloud with the preschool students and than hopefully finishing the testing for standard 6. My to do lists are getting really long already, but I’m so excited to be working finally that I don’t even care!
Update Saturday morning:
Preschoolers are amazing! They are so much fun! I have finished testing standard 6 and Monday I start standard II. What fun!! Also this man Ben came and found me yesterday. He is a special eduation teacher form texas who came down here and fell in love and never left. He told me about this family with 3 special needs children who are being “home schooled” by a women with no training. He asked for any help, so on top of the library and school I think I will be spending wed mornings helping this teacher as well. I’m very excited about it and it might be nice to have a small break from school on wed mornings. I have a lot of work a head of me but I’m ready! As for today? I have no work and plan on enjoying the rest of the day in my hammock and perhaps bathing in the sea
School is from 8:30am (I usually roll in at 8-8:15, that way I can say hi to the teachers and visit for a few minutes) at 10:15 we have a school wide break, the kids run around like crazy and the teachers can have a moment to relax, think of it as recess. We break for lunch at 11:30 and everyone heads home. The afternoon session starts at 1:00pm but I try to be there a few minutes early once again. For the infant I and II classes (kindergarden and 1st grade) school ends at 2:30. At this time the whole school takes another 15 min break, than the rest of the school has class again until 3:30. Right now I’m working full days Mon-Friday. This may not be the case all year. Right now I have plenty to do and I have a feeling it won’t change much. But Once I’m in charge of the library I may only work at school in the morning. We will see how things work out. Most volunteers take off Friday to do research, right now I’m not but I might start. Once again.. we’ll see!
Well after we all met on Tuesday I was working around room to room saying hi and seeing how things were going. I stuck my head into stardard 5 (like 6th grade?). These were the kids that I spent the most time with back in the spring and they asked me to come in and help. I than spent the afternoon helping them and their teacher put up posters and clean up the room. On my way out the standard 6 (7th and 8th grade?) teacher stopped, he is new to our school but I worked with him over the summer for summer school. He informed me that a few of his students were having some trouble reading and wondering if I could help. Of course! That’s my job! I suggest that I test the class and see their reading levels. He agreed and suggested we start Thuresday! Game on! My first real job!! I agreed and Today (I’m writing on Thuresday night) I started to test some of his kids.
Yesterday (Wednesday) I started the day out by sorting out all the new text books and delivering them to the class rooms. There were A LOT of books and the school is two different building and two level and it was about 1094 degrees out.. needless to say it was a LONG morning! But I was so excited to have work I didn’t even care!! After I was done with that I walked around and poked my head in some classrooms. We have some amazing teachers this year! I’m really excited to continue to work with them. Two of our teachers are doing their internship and in Dec they will be a certified teacher. This is a big deal in Belize. Right now out of 16 teachers two are certified or have bachelors in primary ed…actually bachelors period. Anyway they are both amazing teachers and seem egger to work with me! Which is awesome because I’m excited to work with them!!
I spent my afternoon observing standard 3 and checking out the preschool. I didn’t do a ton of “work” after the books, but I am starting to build relationships with some of the teachers and to me that’s really exciting! To be honest... I’m not actually sure what I did for the rest of the day but I promise I was busy and working!
Today was a little more laid back. I started off by teaching standard II for the first part of the morning. Their teacher is still on maternity leave and won’t be back until Monday. So the principle is teaching it right now and he needed to sort some stuff in infant I out. Normally I’m really against subbing but they were in a jam so I offered. He knows it’s not something that will be happening all the time so I’m ok with it! After break I started testing standard 6 on their reading level. Most of the students are doing pretty well. However there is a student who doesn’t even know his letters, it breaks my heart. He can’t read at all. He’ll be done with school this year, he’s been passed along because of “social reasons” meaning his old enough. But oh man.. I guess his siblings were all the same way but nothing has ever been done to help him. His teacher and I chatted and we both know we aren’t going to be able to get him to read enough to get to high school but we can help him with some life skills. Hopefully when he finishes school he’ll at least know his ABC’s. We will see, I am excited about how much his teacher seems to care and want to help. That’s always nice!
Tomorrow I’m doing a read aloud with the preschool students and than hopefully finishing the testing for standard 6. My to do lists are getting really long already, but I’m so excited to be working finally that I don’t even care!
Update Saturday morning:
Preschoolers are amazing! They are so much fun! I have finished testing standard 6 and Monday I start standard II. What fun!! Also this man Ben came and found me yesterday. He is a special eduation teacher form texas who came down here and fell in love and never left. He told me about this family with 3 special needs children who are being “home schooled” by a women with no training. He asked for any help, so on top of the library and school I think I will be spending wed mornings helping this teacher as well. I’m very excited about it and it might be nice to have a small break from school on wed mornings. I have a lot of work a head of me but I’m ready! As for today? I have no work and plan on enjoying the rest of the day in my hammock and perhaps bathing in the sea
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