Getting ready for school, birds

After having time off resting this week, I decided to go for school on Monday, so needed to catch up lots of prep work. First the classroom - we not only have to do the cleaning ourselves but we also have to buy the broom! My room has louvred windows which do not close up properly so a lot of dust has blown in over the summer. David helped me to put out the desks - they are heavy affairs with chairs attached. I am glad to have a room which I can call mine, as some other vols have to share rooms, don't know yet, or have a space which is not secure.
Today I found out all things I missed on Friday's Staff Meeting, so I spent the afternoon doing my lesson plans for the week and reading policies and procedures. My school is large so needs to be pretty organised -some other vols seem to have had very little information about what they need to do tomorrow.
Birds: Wattled Honeyeater, Red Vented Bulbul.  Kate

david's classroom

Yesterday was a day of meetings with math teachers and Dept of Education people. It took place at Kate's school near the airport and I got to meet several of Kate's colleagues. Today I was back at my school for the day and I learned that I now have a classroom of my own! I thought I was going to be a 'floater' and use other teacher's classrooms at least for a week or two so it's good news. The classroom is better than most and other volunteers may be jealous. However it's quite dirty and there's a lot of clutter and non-math material that I'd like to be rid of. Teachers here are responsible for cleaning- I don't know why the education system can't afford a janitor/security person. Of course we can get the students to do some when they arrive.  It's still not obvious which math courses I will be teaching and the students arrive on Monday. But apparently I do have quite a free rein to use the first week on practically anything while all the students eventually turn up.There are only 23 desks in my room so I think my class-size will be much less than in Guyana. And if I'm teaching calculus and/or precalc, then there will likely be very few students which suits me fine. We shall see - it's all rather vague right now. Tomorrow, Saturday I'll go and do some cleaning and then finalise my plan for what to do with the students who are there this week. David

Ups and downs

We now have internet in the house which is fantastic - it has taken a while to organise and costs about four times what we pay in the UK for our house - but it is split four ways thankfully. But it will be great for keeping in touch but also being able to access music news and stuff.
The down side is that I've had some problems with my eye - flashers - I went down to the hospital and eye clinic here. They have seen me twice - advising me to have bed rest and keep my eyes still for 5 days. However we've had other more up to date expert advice that  I don't need to do that - just avoid heavy lifting. Anyway it has got better following the rest period, so maybe that was useful advice. Now I can get moving a bit more to get ready for school on Monday - it was all on hold which was very frustrating.
I saw my classroom on Friday before I got the bedrest order, and it is the same that the previous volunteer had - a small room right alongside the football area. It does not have many finer points, but I hope I can at least get it swept out before I do my first session. It is 4.5 yards wide and 14 yards long, with blackboards at each end. 26 desk/chair units for students, a teacher desk, chair and a table. That is it. I have to provide my own cleaning materials, stationery. If I want to paint over the dodgy bits on the walls I have to provide my own paint and do it myself. But I will get enough text books for my students to have one at home and at least share at school so that is great. I believe I may get issued with a laptop as they want us to take the register online. That is a worry as my room is not secure as some of the louvred windows are pulled out.   Kate

More about the photos

The views from Nu'uuli School is where we were camping out in classrooms during the three weeks of orientation - also where David is teaching. You'll note the fantastic view, which is even more amazing at 6.15 dawn - but maybe I appreciated that a bit more than David... The bay is very shallow as it is a lagoon with coral reefs out towards the sea. You have to travel quite a way down the coast to find a spot to swim.
The view from Breakers Point is looking from the other side of Pago Pago bay. You'll notice how steep the slopes are - there is only a narrow strip of land where there are buildings - they back onto precipitous rainforest. There is one trail that gets you to the top of the mountain which we hope to do sometime soon.
There's also a photo of one of the Tsunami signs - there are sirens installed and if they go off then you run for high ground.
Kate

a few photos

have not mastered photos yet but here are some....

views from Nu'u'uli school

view from Breaker's point (Pago Pago)

Some trips out

It is not all trips out I promise you - we have also been learning about all sorts of official requirements, and doing our solo lessons. But yesterday we had a trip to the museum, which is a small place but interesting - dug out canoes with bark cloth sails, tattoo explanations, medicinal plants - then a weaving demonstration and a chance to have a try. They make ceremonial fine mats but we were just doing the basics. 

Today we went to the National Marine Sanctuary - sounds impressive but it was mainly an excuse for a swim in rough breakers - OK to snorkel for people who are very experienced. But we stayed close in to the shore - saw small blue fish, and bigger striped ones.  This afternoon we climbed a trail up to Nu'uuli Falls which was brilliant - a tall thin waterfall with a deep cool pool.

Tomorrow we move out to our accomodation, four of us are sharing a house, but for the first few days we will have four vols staying with us until they can get their transport out to the islands of Manua. We won't have internet at the house, although we are hoping to arrange it. Monday is General Assembly for all school teachers, so we have to dress up in our World Teach uniform. 

Kate  

first photo!

white collared kingfisher??