End of the Term is Fast Approaching!!!

Things are getting busier and busier as the end of term is fast approaching ! – this week sees examinations and then next week is devoted to mornings only of graduation practice before the big finale on Saturday 10^th !

The examinations seem to be going quite well – it is the first real set of examinations for the new grade four teacher thus he had some difficulties in working out how to make an examination without multiple choice questions, but after the papers going back and forth from Nazareth to Addis a number of times it was all sorted out !!

Graduation seems semi sorted, although there is now a rush for the costumes etc and the logistics of getting over a hundred children in and out of outfits in a matter of minutes ! – still, I am sure that it will all come together in the end !!!

Hello from Nazareth

With only two weeks of school left, things are getting pretty busy here. The volunteer – Emma – left on the 1 am flight this morning - most upset to missing the end of the school year graduation ceremony that she has been helping the children practise for !

The end of year graduation is the big event in the school calendar and consists of series of performances by the children. Since there is inevitable forgetting of words and actions etc then we usually have a strong song with a good rhythm and the song having words – in that way, even if everything is forgotten then at least something is making a noise ! However, this year we decided that for grade 3 we would go mad and have a marching band ( with the instruments – more just marching ! ) – however, the children do not really seem to comprehend this concept and as a result, poor Emma struggled for weeks to try to get the children to march in time rather than break into “ free movement “ when they couldn’t remember what to do !

Since I am tied at the school where I work at the moment due to the exam etc. this meant that I was only available to supervise a rehearsal on Saturday – so the children were all called into school last Saturday morning ! Although the KG seemed pretty sorted, the grade classes were another matter ! – time is pretty limited now with the exams starting next week and the show less than 3 weeks away ! – still, fingers crossed that it will all come together !!

As schools in the first world are thinking about the end of term, many schools are clearing out their cupboards and throwing wonderful stuff away ! Although the logistics of actually getting the stuff here are not fully sorted out ( one suggestion is with future volunteers – we have them from all over the world – so there should be one coming from your location SOON ! ) it seems such a shame to miss this opportunity – so can I ask all of our blog readers to ask around at their local schools for things that they were going to throw out ! – anything and everything is our description of what we need !!! – every little bit helps !!! If you do manage to get some stuff then please let us know on stephanddawit@yahoo.co.uk and we can arrange the transportation of it with future volunteers etc ! – many thanks in advance !

Here Comes Graduation!!

This week sees graduation practise in full swing. Although the show isn’t for another four weeks, two weeks will be taken out for exam revision and examinations, which means that we really are on limited time. In order to add variety this year we have decided to add marching – although good in practice on their own, as soon as they have an audience it all seems to collapse and it looks as if the children are simply wandering aimlessly around ! – Next Saturday is the big dress rehearsal so we will make a firm decision then as to whether they will be able to make it or not ! – If not then we will quickly revert back to plan B – a song that they already know from previous years !

Emma is getting on very well – she is very enthusiastic and tackles all the adversities of Nazareth ( such as having to wash using a bucket since the water is very dodgy and trying to communicate in pigeon English ) in her stride. The trouble is that although she wanted to stay until the end of July and thereby meet and pass things over to the new people, her job has phoned to say that she needs to be back for the beginning of July instead so she is off on the 24^th June !

Although we have three people for the summer, all of them are coming very late ( 2^nd August ) which means that the teachers will have to struggle and start the summer school on their own – which for the beginners and intermediate English classes is just about OK however for the advanced students, a native English speaker really is needed – still, they will do their best and something will be learnt !