Classroom Commotion: First Week of School...sort of

On Wednesday, the 22nd, classes began again at Doulos Discovery School. It was a rainy morning, so we could not have our usual all school flag ceremony (which is perhaps my favorite part of the day). Instead each grade went off to their classrooms with their new teachers. The excitement was all the same though.

I was genuinely filled with joy and love to see and embrace each student. Walking around I loved calling students out by name-- smiles and hugs were very abundant. Forget the weeks of planning I put in for these first few classes...I just wanted to play all day!

Our first week was supposed to be three days, and with the threat of tropical storm Isaac, that has turned into one and a half days. Yesterday we were sent home at noon, and today school has been cancelled throughout the island. Because we are inland, the most we are enduring is unceasing rainfall sometimes in bucket-like downpour, and consequently muddy roads and rivers.
To be honest, it very nice to wake up and not have to go out in this gloomy morning.

After this long, rainy weekend, I think I'll be ready to go back and actually get to start school next week.

Horatio wanted to come with us to school :)

We're ready for the first day with excited smiles!

The front of our  new elementary building! In only
two and a half months some amazing workers labored long
 hours to make these classrooms ready for the first day.

The back side of our new building. The bottom floor will be
finished during the school year with the help of work teams.

August Update: Gearing up for Year Three and DIY Projects

School does not officially start with the storm of students until August 22nd. In the meantime during these first few weeks of this month the staff has been having professional development sessions and classroom preparation and planning time. We even had two days of work projects on campus. The new building is spectacular and everyone is jealous of the preschool, kinder, and 1st grade classes for their new amazing spaces they get to learn in.

I am feeling peacefully ready to get this head start on planning before I have classes to attend to everyday. Even though I am once again revamping and rewriting most of my plans for this coming year, I feel more in control than in the past. Our PD sessions have been very helpful and it's quite amazing what a little experience can do in calming the nerves! I'm already expecting some great things from my students, and I can't wait to share them with you.

This weekend we are embracing a full Sabbath. I was, as Keith likes to say, "running circles" around the apartment yesterday in a tornado of cleaning, laundry, and other projects. Which means today we are resting.

A friend of mine gave me an old lamp her kids had busted up. I embraced the challenge to create my second lampshade (see the first here). I was inspired by the simple pattern of woodgrain, borrowed some left over, supposedly navy blue dye from a friend, and used a layman's version of batik resist. Here's what happened...

before...

...after 

Have I mentioned that my husband also has mad skillz in bread-baking? Well he does, and he whipped up this challah bread this weekend like it ain't no thang.

As luck would have it, it happens to be as big as our beloved gato.



And in case you were wondering- yes, it does taste as good as it looks.