Fun With The Parents December 2010
Fun With The Parents December 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Catch up time
Sorry its been so long since my last post (the early post from today was something I started in September and never finished and I couldn't remember what else I wanted to say so I just posted it). So much has happened since my last post I don't even know where to begin.
At school...
We're in review week as our first quarter ends next week - we have exams throughout next week. We sadly had a teacher return to the US last week so we've had two great team members step up and take over her classroom until a permanent replacement can be found. This means that I've also been spending more time with second grade as well. I notice a huge difference between attention spans of pre-kinder and kinder students and 2nd graders. I'm having fun working with the students on their independent reading. Today was the first day I took the students to the library...what an experience.
A funny thing about working with students is that they say things without a filter. In one day I had two students (independent of each other) say the following to me:
1st student - Miss Andrea you look a lot older today.
Me - why?
student - The wrinkles in your forehead are a lot worse than they were before. But don't worry Miss Andrea, everyone gets old.
2nd group of students at lunch
Miss Andrea, can we guess how old you are?
Me- sure
One student - 26
Me - I like the way you think but I am older than that
Second student - 36
Me - great job, how did you know how old I am?
Second student - because of the wrinkles in your forehead.
Nice huh? I find it all very funny and I don't think my wrinkles are that much worse.
The new classroom is all built. Now we are just waiting for a whiteboard, chairs, paint and electricity to be added.
Enrollment for next year's pre-kinder class. This consumed so much of my time and was a HUGE headache. Its done now and we have the list of the 20 students who will enter our school next year. Our school board of directors wanted to change the process mid stream (several meetings and discussions about this - not happening for next year but a conversation that is still happening), people called to ask favors, stopped by my house to see if I could get their neighbors kids friend in, and people slept outside the school to be first in line for open enrollment. I have learned a lot from this process and have many suggestions to make next years process less hectic and stressful.
Bee season seems to be upon us as this week they have been out in full force. I hope they go away. The weather has been somewhat pleasant lately as well.
Visa
As I posted earlier, I went to San Pedro Sula to renew my visa and was told to go to Teguc as they no longer processed extensions in SPS. I did and got the extension needed - I did have to wait for 3 hours because the one director authorized to sign the extension was at a long lunch. It was a hectic trip - there in one day and back the next - but I got to stay with friends and see my friend Celin who I haven't seen in almost 3 years. We had dinner and talked school as he's a 3rd grade teacher.
Last week on Thursday, we left for Belize to renew our visas. I'm excited to explore Belize more with my family in December. It is beautiful. We stayed right on the beach in Placencia. The food was fantastic (fish, shrimp, rice, beans, chicken, banana bread, and tons of icecream - think cholocate banana and peanut butter - my mouth is watering right now thinking about it). The trip took about 12 hours to complete and on the way there consisted of the following modes of transportation:
1. a mini van that drove us past the Honduras/Guatemalan border - actually took us to where a bridge had been washed out
2. a boat to cross the river
3. another mini van to a point in the road covered with water
4. the back of a pick up truck to immigration in Guatemala
5. the back of another truck to the port city of Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
6. 1 hour boat ride to Punta Gorda, Belize
7. 2 hour bus ride to Mango Creek
8. 10 minute boat ride to Placencia
9. walk to hotel
Same in reverse on our way back. My back has some huge knots in it right now due to the travel, but worth it. We're all legal until we leave for break in December. The hardest part of organizing this trip was working with US dollars, Lempiras, Quetzales and Belizian Dollars. I need more practice with exchange rates. Also, this trip helped me figure out how to travel in December to meet my family in Belize City.
Friends
I'm excited to have made a new friend. She was a neighbor from a home visit. We've gone to the movies and this weekend we're going hiking to the Coca Cola sign in San Pedro Sula (its in the mountains and will overlook the entire city). Its hard making friends here that do not have a connection to the school. Not that having a connection to the school is bad but making friends and getting away from work is nice. I'm happy to have a new friend. The Director and I are still in our walking club...we actually went for a walk today. I'm glad to spend time with her outside of school as well as she has a great sense of humor and she laughs at my awful jokes.
Our staff decided to celebrate dia del maestro at the end of September. We normally have an all staff meeting the last Friday of the month (school gets out at 11:15) and we meet. We decided to have that meeting at a student's pool and have Miss Danelia cook a wonderful meal for all of us. It was a great day to get to know each other well and share great food. We also celebrated Miss Amarilys' (director of the school) birthday. My favorite part of the story was when we asked the mother if we could borrow there pool for this teachers' meeting. She enthusiastically said yes but that a bit of help would be needed to get things in order at the pool (its not at the property where they live). She pulled up in front of our apartments and started honking and yelling for me and the teachers. I thought this would be a small feat and all the other teachers were busy with other commitments. She and I (and Don Ramon - the school guard who loves the lawn mower - and the lawn mower as well) arrive at the property. The pool was empty and very dirty. The grass around the pool was at least 2 feet high. The house is partially constructed. No worries though. In two hours the pool was clean and the grass around it cut. When we arrived the next day, there was space enough for a small soccer field, the pool was full and we had a wonderful day.
My boss arrived today from the states. He will be staying in my apartment for the next 10 days or so. It will be nice to have him here to explain a few things to me and to help with some team discussions.
At school...
We're in review week as our first quarter ends next week - we have exams throughout next week. We sadly had a teacher return to the US last week so we've had two great team members step up and take over her classroom until a permanent replacement can be found. This means that I've also been spending more time with second grade as well. I notice a huge difference between attention spans of pre-kinder and kinder students and 2nd graders. I'm having fun working with the students on their independent reading. Today was the first day I took the students to the library...what an experience.
A funny thing about working with students is that they say things without a filter. In one day I had two students (independent of each other) say the following to me:
1st student - Miss Andrea you look a lot older today.
Me - why?
student - The wrinkles in your forehead are a lot worse than they were before. But don't worry Miss Andrea, everyone gets old.
2nd group of students at lunch
Miss Andrea, can we guess how old you are?
Me- sure
One student - 26
Me - I like the way you think but I am older than that
Second student - 36
Me - great job, how did you know how old I am?
Second student - because of the wrinkles in your forehead.
Nice huh? I find it all very funny and I don't think my wrinkles are that much worse.
The new classroom is all built. Now we are just waiting for a whiteboard, chairs, paint and electricity to be added.
Enrollment for next year's pre-kinder class. This consumed so much of my time and was a HUGE headache. Its done now and we have the list of the 20 students who will enter our school next year. Our school board of directors wanted to change the process mid stream (several meetings and discussions about this - not happening for next year but a conversation that is still happening), people called to ask favors, stopped by my house to see if I could get their neighbors kids friend in, and people slept outside the school to be first in line for open enrollment. I have learned a lot from this process and have many suggestions to make next years process less hectic and stressful.
Bee season seems to be upon us as this week they have been out in full force. I hope they go away. The weather has been somewhat pleasant lately as well.
Visa
As I posted earlier, I went to San Pedro Sula to renew my visa and was told to go to Teguc as they no longer processed extensions in SPS. I did and got the extension needed - I did have to wait for 3 hours because the one director authorized to sign the extension was at a long lunch. It was a hectic trip - there in one day and back the next - but I got to stay with friends and see my friend Celin who I haven't seen in almost 3 years. We had dinner and talked school as he's a 3rd grade teacher.
Last week on Thursday, we left for Belize to renew our visas. I'm excited to explore Belize more with my family in December. It is beautiful. We stayed right on the beach in Placencia. The food was fantastic (fish, shrimp, rice, beans, chicken, banana bread, and tons of icecream - think cholocate banana and peanut butter - my mouth is watering right now thinking about it). The trip took about 12 hours to complete and on the way there consisted of the following modes of transportation:
1. a mini van that drove us past the Honduras/Guatemalan border - actually took us to where a bridge had been washed out
2. a boat to cross the river
3. another mini van to a point in the road covered with water
4. the back of a pick up truck to immigration in Guatemala
5. the back of another truck to the port city of Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
6. 1 hour boat ride to Punta Gorda, Belize
7. 2 hour bus ride to Mango Creek
8. 10 minute boat ride to Placencia
9. walk to hotel
Same in reverse on our way back. My back has some huge knots in it right now due to the travel, but worth it. We're all legal until we leave for break in December. The hardest part of organizing this trip was working with US dollars, Lempiras, Quetzales and Belizian Dollars. I need more practice with exchange rates. Also, this trip helped me figure out how to travel in December to meet my family in Belize City.
Friends
I'm excited to have made a new friend. She was a neighbor from a home visit. We've gone to the movies and this weekend we're going hiking to the Coca Cola sign in San Pedro Sula (its in the mountains and will overlook the entire city). Its hard making friends here that do not have a connection to the school. Not that having a connection to the school is bad but making friends and getting away from work is nice. I'm happy to have a new friend. The Director and I are still in our walking club...we actually went for a walk today. I'm glad to spend time with her outside of school as well as she has a great sense of humor and she laughs at my awful jokes.
Our staff decided to celebrate dia del maestro at the end of September. We normally have an all staff meeting the last Friday of the month (school gets out at 11:15) and we meet. We decided to have that meeting at a student's pool and have Miss Danelia cook a wonderful meal for all of us. It was a great day to get to know each other well and share great food. We also celebrated Miss Amarilys' (director of the school) birthday. My favorite part of the story was when we asked the mother if we could borrow there pool for this teachers' meeting. She enthusiastically said yes but that a bit of help would be needed to get things in order at the pool (its not at the property where they live). She pulled up in front of our apartments and started honking and yelling for me and the teachers. I thought this would be a small feat and all the other teachers were busy with other commitments. She and I (and Don Ramon - the school guard who loves the lawn mower - and the lawn mower as well) arrive at the property. The pool was empty and very dirty. The grass around the pool was at least 2 feet high. The house is partially constructed. No worries though. In two hours the pool was clean and the grass around it cut. When we arrived the next day, there was space enough for a small soccer field, the pool was full and we had a wonderful day.
My boss arrived today from the states. He will be staying in my apartment for the next 10 days or so. It will be nice to have him here to explain a few things to me and to help with some team discussions.
Food, food and more food (from September 26)
Due to the very generous hospitality of our Honduran hosts we have eaten very well this week. We have all been doing home visits (visiting our students at their houses to get to know the students families and to see the students in their natural environment). Many families have been nice enough to invite all 14 of us over. All visits usually entail very good food (baleadas, pastelitos, carne asada...and at one house three desserts). Oftentimes, food is followed by fun; recently we've played cards and had modeling competitions. The families are extremely giving and open to sharing what they have with us.
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