New House Report

A correction and update on the new house dubbed number 7. I had made some rash predictions in my last blog regarding the imminent appearance of a roof. I was not quite right, my assessments of how the building was going were made mostly at night on my way to and from supper, so there was some imagination involve with what I was actually seeing. The lumber I thought was going for the roof was in reality used for concrete forms to pour the lintels over windows and doorway. Here, however the lintels are continuous and run all around the house covering all the openings. Then the blocks are again laid on that lintel layer on up a few more rows. So now I see new timber for roof rafter and the roof joists are in place. The windows and doors are being framed in. When asked, the workmen always assure me that I can move in tomorrow.

What a lot of water!

Kathe, Phillip and Mamie Spillane (teacher trainer) have gone to Livingstone to see Victoria Falls.

Dictionary game

Last week I decided it was time to learn about dictionaries and looking at a few copies I had of a small dictionary for kids, no definitions, just some common reading words listed in alphabetical order. Seemed pretty useless, I had used it as a source for spelling words. But I wanted to motivate them to get used to looking words up and becoming familiar and comfortable with such books. Recently been watching them play soccer and they are quite competitive. I didn't have enough books for everyone. So I split them into two teams the Elephants and the Lions, each had 3 copies of this same dictionary. I listed 10 words on the board and they had to find that word and write down the preceding word and the one that came directly after it. The team that finished first with the correct answers won. Well right from the first the Elephants would seem to outweigh the Lions in their reading skills at least and I was putting my money (in my mind) on them. And sure enough, they won the first few games. Turns out we couldn't play just once. Eventually the Lions pulled up and the last few games were all draws. Speed seemed to introduce errors, so they would both finish quickly but both would have made an error. This seemed a good time to stop.

An almost functional library!

Ellinor Angel has got our library going with the few shelves we have. She has grouped the books in way that make them easy to find both for students and teachers. She has put up some nice posters that just happen to go with a good story book and makes a nice reading corner.

So with with 4 bookcases and sufficient books to pretty much fill them and a good number of cardboard boxes and a few tables and classroom chairs its almost a functional library. This afternoon the teaching staff meet with Ellinor to talk about loaning policies and a way to make them more equitable. We have always been more lenient with resident student than with those kids from the outside. We almost never let books go off campus. But we will use a time-tested method of Ms. Mwanza who has some books that she lets go home with kids from the outside. If they show they are responsible, take good care of the book and return it with some knowledge of what its about, then they earn the priviledge of borrowing from the library and can take them home. Otherwise they can check them out for classroom use.

More from the students:

Marvin is a good student but can get on your nerves. He never hears when you announce a change in activities. I announce to the class what we are going to do next and then turn to Marvin, who after three attempts to communicate with him, suddenly notices and always responds by saying "What?" Then you say it again and hope. Well the other thing he does, is draw. At the slightest hint of a break in the chain of events and he will clear his desk and bring out a drawing and be off in his own world. Or if you are changing from one subject to another, he will be in your face saying, "I am asking for a sheet of paper." "Why, Marvin?" "I want to draw." "Marvin, we are just starting English right now, you don't have time to draw." He gives you a disgusted look and slowly returns to his seat.

So its not surprising then when asked to write about his favorite thing to do, Marvin responded:
[the following is rended as closely as posible as it was written] My favorite thing to do is Draw. I like draw because Drawing is good For me when I draw it look nice.

To the same question Precious wrote: My favorite thing to do is read and playing and cooking and learning at school maths and spellings and Read. and science and s. s. [social studies] Because I like to cooking fish every day.

Ireen responded: My favorite thing to do is read because it is impetoune to lenrn some word.

Stella is a bit more (too) verbal: I like to read and my best subject is English. I like to make some clay [make things from clay]. I like to talk Story of my life and I like to do math. You know when we are doing english I like to answer the question. and attending church...

Blog prssing out of Africa, its my favorite thing to do.