The skies are blue, the birds are chirping, the goats and sheep are grazing in the school grounds, and the children are all back-school has begun. Well sort of. My first day was a fabulous example...because it never actually happened. School started on a Friday this year, which seems odd but not suprising anymore. I walked into my first class to see...no students !!! Suprise ! First day of school was actually just a kids see their schedule day, because apparently during class organization day nobody told them their class schedule. So students came, and left, which gave me another day of summer.
But the first day of school did come, and alas it went off without a hitch. Unlike last year when I was absolutely terrified to start class, this time around I felt normal. Did my introductions, told my students how to prepare for my class, and that was it. Same went for class number two-zero problems. So here I am in week 2 of school and things are going smoothly. Let's hope it will stay that way.
After all, kids are thrilled to take my class, because well of the 6 subjects required in 6eme, my math class, along with French and Gym, are the only subjects that these kids have. My friend, the vice-principal M. Kere is trying fast to fill the empty slots, but we just don't have enough teachers here. I was already asked to teach a 3rd class, and we have had to contract out 2 math teachers to help fill the void, along with a whole handfull of physics-chemistry (it's a duel subject here) and biology teachers. English, French, and German (yes German) are covered at least, Burkinabés have an exceptional ability at langauge so there are more than enough langauge teachers here. No problems in gym class either!
But then again, not a whole lot suprises me here anymore. I have not been home in awhile.
With exciting news about school comes sad news, I lost Bob Monday night. My poor dog fell terribly sick and did not survive the night. Nobody knows what happened hto him, people have far more to worry about than their poor dogs falling sick (children contracting malaria for example) so vets do not have the same knowledge base as Amerucan vets. I am very sad, but in many ways relieved. He went very quietly and now I no longer have to worry about the eventual seperation that overlooked my future. His passing means that there is no pressure upon the next volunteer to adopt Bob and I at least get to know the fate of Bob instead of wondering from 3,000 miles away how my poor dog would survive after I left.
I'll miss you pup, thanks for the good times.
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