Back to school in the rainy season

School opened on Tuesday and I am enjoying being back, and I think even the students, after their nice long break, are ready to be back to studying. I had forgotten how busy a school day can be though, with the break times morning bell of 8 o'clock a mere memory replaced by the rather cold early hour of 6:30. Busy and full as I continue to teach a solid load of classes and try to also be present in the nursery when I am able.

Meanwhile, while last term was teaching in the dry season, this term is teaching in the rainy season which poses some challenges. Namely, it rains pretty consistently in the afternoon which means our afternoon periods are somewhat lost. For me, most days I only have morning classes and am unaffected, but Thursday and Friday I do have some English periods in the afternoon and yesterday got to experience my first attempt at teaching during a torrential downpour. Remember, our schoolhouse is tin, and torrential downpours on tin makes for a deafening roar. Also, one wonders over the logistics of lightning and said metal walls... During my downpour I gave the students an assignment on the blackboard, but it is much better if we can go over it together as a class before they complete. However, yesterday at least, the assignment was thankfully self explanatory. The headteacher referred to afternoon lessons during the rainy season as lost periods though, and while of all the schools in the district we ranked quite high, the goal is to have our school rank number one. I think they can do it, but the rain does bring challenges.

They did get the district scores yesterday, ranking our primary against almost thirty others in the district, and like I said, we really did quite well, even with English ranking quite well. Our lagging grades are class seven and eight, which with the grade eight secondary entry exam, the KCPE, looming in the future is worrisome. Yesterday afternoon the teachers met, and me too as I was stranded by the rain and do teach class seven English, to discuss strategies. I really admire the teachers here. They are very committed to both the school but more importantly to the students as individuals. The headteacher emphasized the responsibility we have, I was honored to be included in his conference, as teachers and counselors but also reminded the rest of us that we also often stand in the role of parents for these children, as the teachers are the adults the children know best. He also reminded us that for the class sevens and eights, while we might think we are teaching them, their thoughts might be anywhere else; essentially, he reminded us that they are going through adolescence. The teachers here are quality!

Meanwhile, with the new term, our toddlers have started nursery school which is really good. They had outgrown their playroom and were in danger of growing quite unruly, but I think they are at the perfect age to learn. They even got uniforms and look super smart. Currently, they don't have a classroom because this weekend even the secondary students are supposed to move into the almost completed secondary building to clear out their rooms for the nursery school. They have been having class in the dining hall though, and truly are enjoying their new atmosphere of learning.

In other news, in the world of westerners, my friend from England left this week and will be greatly missed. She was a lot of fun always teasing the children and really standing in the gap of the nursery over the holidays. I will miss having tea with her back in our rooms and talking about the crazy adventures of a day. However, fortunately for my sake as I rather like having tea and talking about the crazy happenings of life here, the week before she left, another young woman from Canada came and will be here for two months, so I have my evening company still. She will be here up until two weeks before I leave, and while she has only been here a week, I am convinced will do quite well and we have had fun together with the kids.

Meanwhile, this week back at school has rather raced by, and I know my last two and a half months will do the same because the weeks do fly during the busyness of school... I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am to be here, and as I don't think they will have more such long-term visitors here at least in the immediate future, I feel very blessed to be the person who had the opportunity to stay here with these children, in this family, the longest.