Wednesday, October 31, 2018
The pumpkin party
Today was our pumpkin party at school. We were told a month ago to pick a date during this week to do a presentation and I was damned if I was going to do another pageant where the kids have to all dress up like snowflakes or ducks or asparagus or something weird. I said we would do a pumpkin party. We are not allowed to celebrate Halloween at school so I thought I would do the pumpkins without making Jack-o-lanterns out of then. We did it in the classroom where the kids feel comfortable. The parents came almost all on time. We put on our little pumpkin hats and sang our “hello” song for our guests. Then I just gave a short explanation about Halloween in the US and afterwards the kids sang the pumpkin song they learned and love so much. They’ve been singing it all day for the entire month. After we took our bows, I cut one pumpkin open and a mom cut the other one. I was really happy to get the parents engaged. When we got the tops of the pumpkins off, we let the kids put their hands in the pumpkins and feel the goop. Everyone got to take home a plastic bag full of pumpkin seeds. Then it got really exciting. The music teacher brought in her juicer and and each kid got to stuff an apple into the juicer. We then had homemade apple juice and donuts which my TA ordered from a store near her home. Everything went really well. I told the parents that the party was officially over but anyone who wanted to stay and play with the kids could. And actually, several parents did. They read to their kids in English and put puzzles together with them. One parent was excited because she said it was like a real party with food. Another parent said she liked it much better than the pageants that our usually put on in the auditorium. And, of course, the administration sent in the photographer and the cameraman to record everything and put it on the school’s Facebook page. I really wish they’d pay more attention to substance rather than cosmetics. They’ve got to start spending some of that photography money on teachers’ pay to get some high quality staff in here. Their concept is good. They just haven’t figured out all the practicalities of it yet.
Monday, October 29, 2018
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Saturday, October 27, 2018
a message for Ja
Ja, I keep sending you emails and they keep getting sent back as undeliverable. I’ve received several of yours. NeeNee
The rotten day
The evening before the rotten day happened, I attended the local Rotary Club meeting. A presenter showed the proposed new bike routes for Kazan. It’s an ambitious plan, but doesn’t encorproate cooperation with public transportation or education for drivers on how to share the roads with bikes. Still a lot to do. But it’s a good start. And the guy who rode around the world was there again. He wants me to go with him to Nizhnekramsk, another city in Tatarstan about 3 hours away on Nov. 17. He has to give a presentation to the municipality and there will be school officials there. He wants me to present the PowerPoint about what we did with bikes at our school. The guy also wants me to give him English lessons, but he doesn’t want to pay he going rate. So go find someone else with my skill set, you cheapskate. It ain’t gonna be me.
Friday was the ultimate rotten day in school. First of all, at the beginning of the week, one of the kids threw up all over my TA after I had gone home. The parents kept her home the next day, but sent her back in Wednesday. When it was time to wake everyone up from the naps, she would not wake up. The kid was obviously still sick so I told the assistant to let her sleep. The nurse checked her and said, yes, the kid was sick. So the parents kept her home Thursday but brought her in Friday. They told my assistant in Russian that if we sent their kid home sick again, they would go straight to the administration. My TA told them to go right ahead. Geez, we should infect a dozen other kids so that you parents don’t have to miss a day of work?! Lovely.
Then, we had a pumpkin party with parents planned for the 31st. I was instructed that I had to have it in that week. So I even changed my vacation schedule and we invited parents. Then the director, whose son is in my class, wants me to change the party to the 30 th because they are leaving for vacation on the 31 st. I said sure, but you can be the one to inform all the other parents. It ain’t gonna be me. The date is staying the same.
THEN, there’s a thing here that some parents don’t let their kids get vaccinated. But if another kid in the class does get a vaccination, the unvaccinated kid has to stay away from the class for two months (or the parents must sign a waiver absolving the school of all responsibility) so that the unvaccinated kid doesn’t catch the disease from the kid with the live vaccination. I don’t think so! But that’s the way they do it here. In any case, my favorite little guy had to be put in another classroom. He has been a holy terror there and mom wants him back with us. So I have been instructed that, when I mom and the kid show up on Monday morning, I’m supposed to be the one to tell the mom that I can’t let him in until she goes to the nurse and signs the waiver. I just love it when they pass the buck.
Only one more week, and then I’m in Scotland. Oh, yeeeeess! I need a break.
Tonight the gang is all headed down to the Hilton for a big Spanish party. That should be something different.
This morning I went out and bought three pumpkins for our pumpkin party and brought them home on the bike. I had to push the whole way. Then I went out shopping. I just cooked a squash and it tasted wonderful. Tomorrow I’m going to make Mac and cheese. I need some comfort food after yesterday.
Friday was the ultimate rotten day in school. First of all, at the beginning of the week, one of the kids threw up all over my TA after I had gone home. The parents kept her home the next day, but sent her back in Wednesday. When it was time to wake everyone up from the naps, she would not wake up. The kid was obviously still sick so I told the assistant to let her sleep. The nurse checked her and said, yes, the kid was sick. So the parents kept her home Thursday but brought her in Friday. They told my assistant in Russian that if we sent their kid home sick again, they would go straight to the administration. My TA told them to go right ahead. Geez, we should infect a dozen other kids so that you parents don’t have to miss a day of work?! Lovely.
Then, we had a pumpkin party with parents planned for the 31st. I was instructed that I had to have it in that week. So I even changed my vacation schedule and we invited parents. Then the director, whose son is in my class, wants me to change the party to the 30 th because they are leaving for vacation on the 31 st. I said sure, but you can be the one to inform all the other parents. It ain’t gonna be me. The date is staying the same.
THEN, there’s a thing here that some parents don’t let their kids get vaccinated. But if another kid in the class does get a vaccination, the unvaccinated kid has to stay away from the class for two months (or the parents must sign a waiver absolving the school of all responsibility) so that the unvaccinated kid doesn’t catch the disease from the kid with the live vaccination. I don’t think so! But that’s the way they do it here. In any case, my favorite little guy had to be put in another classroom. He has been a holy terror there and mom wants him back with us. So I have been instructed that, when I mom and the kid show up on Monday morning, I’m supposed to be the one to tell the mom that I can’t let him in until she goes to the nurse and signs the waiver. I just love it when they pass the buck.
Only one more week, and then I’m in Scotland. Oh, yeeeeess! I need a break.
Tonight the gang is all headed down to the Hilton for a big Spanish party. That should be something different.
This morning I went out and bought three pumpkins for our pumpkin party and brought them home on the bike. I had to push the whole way. Then I went out shopping. I just cooked a squash and it tasted wonderful. Tomorrow I’m going to make Mac and cheese. I need some comfort food after yesterday.
Thursday, October 25, 2018
The bike presentation
How cool is this?! The head of the Rotary in Kazan just rode his bike around the world. It was a ride for charity and I don’t know how much money he collected! But Tuesday we got him to come to our school and give the kids a presentation. He was spectacular and the kids loved it. He didn’t do a long, academic speech. He told the kids a few things then put up his tent and let the kids crawl in it. They got to sit on his bike. He showed them his lights and his reflective vests. It was just really interactive and interesting for the kids. There were also parents in attendance and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Ildus, the bike rider, brought some members of his bike club along with him and they had a short meeting after his presentation. I had to give them a PowerPoint presentation about our bike club. They really liked it and would like to use it as a template for all the schools in Kazan. The question is only, how many schools will be open to this idea. But these guys are really working hard to change the transportation mindset in the region, so maybe we are off to a good start.
They are also starting to collect old bikes and repair them to give away to kids in need. I told them about R Community Bikes and now they want me to give a presentation about RCB at their November meeting. Bicycling as a way of life is growing worldwide!
And tonight I’m also attending a Rotary Club meeting. The city is presenting its new bike infrastructure concept and Ildus invited me to attend the presentation. Wow, look at the way things can move along if everyone is willing. Cross your fingers that we make some real progress here.
Ildus, the bike rider, brought some members of his bike club along with him and they had a short meeting after his presentation. I had to give them a PowerPoint presentation about our bike club. They really liked it and would like to use it as a template for all the schools in Kazan. The question is only, how many schools will be open to this idea. But these guys are really working hard to change the transportation mindset in the region, so maybe we are off to a good start.
They are also starting to collect old bikes and repair them to give away to kids in need. I told them about R Community Bikes and now they want me to give a presentation about RCB at their November meeting. Bicycling as a way of life is growing worldwide!
And tonight I’m also attending a Rotary Club meeting. The city is presenting its new bike infrastructure concept and Ildus invited me to attend the presentation. Wow, look at the way things can move along if everyone is willing. Cross your fingers that we make some real progress here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)