In my classes, this has been a fun couple of weeks. My 3rd and 4th graders made Advent Calendars last Wednesday. On Friday the 4th graders worked on Christmas vocabulary and do a worksheet with a maze and a word search and the 3rd graders made 3-D Christmas tree and snowmen decorations. 4th grade is also learning “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and 3rd grade is learning “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” This week, 3rd grade made hand prints on a big roll of paper which I'm cutting out and making into a Christmas wreath and 4th grade made Reindeer out of their footprints and handprints. I'll post pictures as soon as I can load them (I still have some camera issues). We have 1 more class before I leave for Christmas break, and they will be full of Christmas vocabulary, Christmas carols, and fun Christmas activities.
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| 4th Grade Christmas Caroling with their teacher before my class |
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| Chrismary showing off her Christmas Tree Advent Calendar |
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| One of the 3D Snowmen we made in 3rd grade |
My high school students wrote letters to Santa this week. Let me share them with you (unedited):
"Dear Santa,
For Christmas I would like a sneakers style nike with Jordan, new cap brand New Era, belt brand Guccy, vest and bag, T-shirt red and black, a new cell phone.
Thank you Santa,
Celestino"
"Dear Santa,
For Christmas I would like a laptop, a skateboard, a blackberry, a visa for New York, and look for a girlfriend. That she is beautiful and white, medium, eyes blue, and that my love for ever.
Thank you,
Juan Francisco"
"Dear Santa,
For Christmas, I would like a computer that is big is Windows 2010 that is laptop the brand Tochiba and cheap that is modern and good price and that is new.
Thank you,
Jairo"
"Dear Santa,
For Christmas, I would like a new life, and my and my family, specifically to my Grandmother that God the blessing.
Eveling"
My adult classes are going strong. We are now working on how to describe someone. I have a few faithful students, but I am posting announcements in the church bulletin to try to get more students. We are focusing on Christmas words, traditions, and culture this week.
Sister Jean Gabriel and Sister Priscilla have arrived back in the Dominican Republic. The hubbub of activity leading up to their arrival has been very exciting. The people that work and volunteer for the sisters want to impress them and welcome them back warmly, and, to do this, they clean EVERYTHING! The convent, the school buildings, the clinic, and the office building at Centro Buen Pastor have all been deep cleaned to the tiniest corners and the tallest fans. The schoolchildren helped clean their classrooms on Friday, and the kids of many of the workers came when they weren’t in school to help their parents. It was very interesting to watch this army of cleaners happily preparing for the Sisters.
Their arrival also means the end of my time watching their house. I moved into an apartment this weekend. The apartment is everything I need, a kitchen, living/dinning room, bathroom, and bedroom. I even have a closet. It is in a neighborhood I know well and near many friends of mine, so I feel safe and comfortable. Moving into the apartment became a bit of a nightmare when I was promised the place for Wednesday, and Wednesday became Friday and then Friday they asked if I could wait till Sunday or maybe Tuesday. I said I couldn't wait any longer, and they had to force a girl who was staying in the apartment while they had re-done the floor in her apartment to come on Friday night and move out so that I could move in (her floor had been done for days, so I don’t know why they hadn’t had her move back earlier or what was holding things up). Also, the furniture that I ordered from Ikea that was promised for Friday didn't arrive until Tuesday, so I lived without all of my furniture, like a mattress, for a few days, but once it got here, I set everything up and have a great place.
Two little boys in the neighborhood helped me move my luggage into my second floor apartment, and for their help, I gave them Silly Bandz. This instantly made me popular with the kids that live near me, and they wave when they see me, hoping to figure out a way to earn more “gomas” as they call the Silly Bandz (which is the word for elastic bands). Now, the kids ask me if I need favors, like having my trash taken out, so that they can earn more Silly Bandz from me. One kid even traded a bracelet he made out of small elastic bands for Silly Bandz. I was happy to make the trade!
I come home to the US on Tuesday the 14th of December to spend Christmas with my family, and I will be home until the 30th. Hopefully I will get to see many of you during my visit. I’ll also take donations back with me, so let me know if you have things for me to bring down here.
As always, if you have any questions, let me know!
Feliz Navidad!
Tina
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