Week 3 in South Africa

Hi Family and Friends,

Week 3 marks an ending and beginning for me. The curriculum is updated (English-don't laugh Kimberly :) and I will help organize the teaching room tomorrow and hopefully start with the students directly on Thursday. While working on curriculum, I made it a point to visit all the teachers just to introduce myself and start a partnership of sorts. I must say everyone here in South Africa respects silver/white hair. It really works for me here!!

They run very strict classrooms....the young kids sit on the floor (about 40 of them per class) at my school and the older ones have old, old desks about a 1940's vintage!! When I visited the second grade teacher I looked at all these smiling faces, but my pal Emron (whose picture I already posted) had the biggest smile of all. I blew him a kiss while trying to determine if that would embarrass him or not, but it came naturally and he blew one back.

This 10 year old, Wellsely got into a fight with a peer on the playground and I ended up sitting in the Director's car with him while he cooled down. Taking his picture seemed to do the trick!!

In another room, 5th grade, a teacher was talking to a parent about her problem child and let me tell you...no attorney would influence these teachers as they are adamant about how wrong this child is; and, they predict what failures lie in wait for him or her, and they chastise the parent for raising a belligerent child. Oh my, I think I found the re-incarnation of the Felician nuns. It's a "guilty as charged" conversation...period....dun!!

The child however old, is then sent to sit in this large room on the floor that everyone must walk through to get from one corner of the school to another. So, they sit their visibly shamed for mis-behaving. The school is unusually quiet needless to say. I imagine this is the only discipline these children receive, since their personal lives are so lacking.

When I got home today I grabbed my stuff and went for a nice walk along the beach, it's sunny but a cool wind prevails. Sorry, for all you under 20 degrees!! Anyhow, here is a group I came across who played and sang that sweet African music that makes my heart sing!

Well, that is it for today. Thank you Laura for making this blog happen. The one I created is still mysteriously hidden. Anyhow, hugs and love to all of you, Mom, etc.....