Week 3

Its hard to believe that today is only Wednesday, its been a long week.  Monday started by going to school and starting with our normal acto civico AND then out came the traditional folkloric dancers.  Fun...they performed four or five songs and then got all of the US teachers out in the middle to dance punta (a lot of fast hip and butt movements).  Kids all day long kept coming up to me and saying that I danced well.  How kind of them.  After school I had two meetings and didn't get home until 9 p.m.  I had my first meeting with the scholarship parents.  We covered a lot of information and even held elections.  This is the meeting where I was to be mean.  I got applause after the meeting and accomplished all I wanted to so, so far so well.  The board of directors meeting for the school is always long and starts 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour late but we covered a lot of important information.
Tuesday, I helped in the kindergarten and first grade classes for most of the day.  Then came home and cooked a stir fry for fourteen people and led a team meeting.

Today, walking to work I saw three teachers from the other bilingual school here in town get mugged at gun point.  A car sped past me, stopped where they were walking, two men got out and took the teachers backpacks, etc.  No one was hurt but everyone was badly shaken up.  After reporting what happened to the police and making sure the other teachers were ok and got where they needed to go, I helped again in first grade.  In the evening we attended the annual desfile de antorches (parade of torches).  Its an annual tradition for schools to participat in.  We got there early and were the first to parade.  I've added some photos from the parade to this page.  It was followed up by eating baleadas at the 6th grade fundraising stand!  Excellent food and I think they made a fortune on their sales.

Tomorrow, we have school as normal and then our first soccer game of the year.  Its confusing as some think its an 8 and under game while others think 3-6 grades can play.  Guess we'll find out tomorrow.  I am then helping tutor a student studying in San Pedro Sula through our scholarship progam from 4-5.  At five I'm going to do a home visit (and hopefully get some really good food out of the visit :)) Then we have dance practice.

Friday is Dia del Nino (Kids Day).  We are having a party at school from 9-12.  School gets out at 12.  The parents of each grade organize a huge party for their kids (I'm talking pinatas, cake, ice cream, pizza, juice, etc.)  It starts with an all school assembly where we have to perform and make fools out of ourselves.  That is why we have dance practice tomorrow night.  I plan to take pictures of all the sugar highs on Friday a.m. as well.  Friday afternoon I'm headed to  Teguc to see some friends and relax.