I have settled in very nicely to my new home here in Chigyuante, Chile, and the days are flying by me. I have developed a nice little routine here with the Ramirez family, so here´s a peek into what one of our days might be like. I apologize for the length of this post, but our days are packed!
Once everyone is accounted for, the students move to the rug where Miss Valeska leads them in a welcome song, a head count, and a weather song. Today we had 8 boys, 8 girls, and 3 Misses, and the weather outside of our window looked very cloudy.
Our first seat work for the day was coloring a rain drop, one of our vocabulary words. The students at TJS are currently in a week of evaluations, and it is important for the Pre Kindergarteners to show that they can color in the lines.
Before I know it, it´s time for Miss Valeska and I to head to the teacher´s lounge for a 20 minute break. I enjoy a cup of coffee and yogurt from home. It´s also nice to chat with Amanda, Haley, Anna, and some of the other teachers.
When we get back, the students are finishing up their own snacks and brushing their teeth. Once they´re all finished, we bundle them up and head across campus for music class.
Mister Francisco leads the students through singing and dancing, and everyone has a fantastic time, myself included. Once our time is up we head back into the cold to return to our classroom.
The evaluations continue, and this time I get to introduce the activity. Everyone does a fanstastic job painting their rain cloud and drawing rain drops.
After a break for free play, the students head back to their seats and practice sewing and coloring. It is very impressive to watch Pre Kindgarten students use a real needle without a single behavior problem. Miss Silvia says that they have been practicing this skill since baby school.
My students leave school for the day at 1, and I am free to enjoy lunch. Today Senora Rose Marie packed brown rice with walnuts, a frittata, and a banana. I´m so thankful that she is taking care of me!
Storey got the chance to act as a substitute teacher in 2nd grade science today, and since I was free I was able to go in and lend a hand. She did a great job, and it was fun to see some new faces.
Once class was over for everyone, I got together with the rest of the girls in PreK and Kindergarten and planned our poem for next week´s Fourth of July assembly. I can´t wait to see how the school celebrates, and I´m happy that we can share information about our country with them on this holiday.
At 4pm Senora Rose Marie picked us up from school and we headed home, where I found out that the floor in my room had been changed and I could fully settle in. I have been staying in Maly´s room since I got here, and it is nice to have a place to really call my own. I still can´t believe the Ramirez family has gone through all of this trouble to make me feel welcome. I promptly took advantage of my new digs and had a little quiet time with Antonella.
Our days always end with once, which is usually bread with cheese, ham, or jam with tea. Today we spiced it up a little bit with sopapillas, both sweet with powdered sugar and savory with pebre. Now I´m helping Josepha study for a homophones test until it´s time for bed.
Tomorrow we will do it all over again!
I am the first person to wake up at 6 am, and after hustling to get out of the bathroom so that three others can use it, I check out what Senora Rose Marie has packed for lunch. My purple striped lunch box is always lined up ready to go with Josepha and Maly´s.
Even though we are pressed for time, the girls and I always sit down to breakfast with Senor Mario. Coffee with leche and bread with cheese or jam are staples.
As soon as we are finished eating, we say goodbye to Antonella and dart out of the door so that Senor Mario can drop us off at school before he heads to work.
I am usually at school before many of the teachers, and I imemediately jump in to help as students arrive. Each child that comes to our Pre Kindergarten class is greeted with a kiss on the head and help with taking off their jackets and putting on their lab coats. As soon as they enter Miss Valeska´s and Miss Silvia´s classroom, there is work waiting for them to get their day started off right.
At 4pm Senora Rose Marie picked us up from school and we headed home, where I found out that the floor in my room had been changed and I could fully settle in. I have been staying in Maly´s room since I got here, and it is nice to have a place to really call my own. I still can´t believe the Ramirez family has gone through all of this trouble to make me feel welcome. I promptly took advantage of my new digs and had a little quiet time with Antonella.
Tomorrow we will do it all over again!
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