Has it been that long again? The middle of September!? When
did this happen?
Really I have papers to grade, but I have so much to tell you!
School here is in full swing, and all of my classes are
crazy busy. My seventh graders are exploring culture as part of human
geography, my ninth graders are plotting their own revolutions and writing
their own manifestoes after reading Animal
Farm, my seniors are working on college applications, and my eleventh
graders are just beginning The Great
Gatsby. I’m very excited to read Fitzgerald in the context of a Christian
school. You know it’s going to be a fabulous mash of opinions, and very
different from the passive acceptance of immorality found in some schools back
home. My students are (mostly) curious, and it can be a lot of fun to engage
them and discuss whatever the lesson happens to be within the context of their
myriad backgrounds. Needless to say, every day is an adventure.
Our girls' soccer team rockin' out at their first game!
Speaking of, teacher friends- if you have any lesson
resources for the following (as I am teaching them in East Africa with- you
might say- scant resources,) please be welcome to email/facebook/ teleport
them!
- · The Great Gatsby
- · Romeo and Juliet
- · 9th Grade Poetry (Western Lit)
- · Frankenstein (though I do have some cool ideas there already.)
- · Middle school world geography- I’m using the Prentice Hall World Explorer: People, Places, and Cultures textbook… and have no access to online tools, though I have sent the company my begging email. My seventh graders can’t sit still! So any geography activity ideas are greatly appreciated.
Our puppy, Simba, has put on a little weight since we
adopted him last Saturday. He can’t get close enough to his mommies when we’re
home from school, and he is always hungry. Simba may be as young as four weeks
though (the shelter found him abandoned without a mother,) so he only eats warm
milk mixed with either porridge or cooked rice. He is a little goofball though.
Not quite strong enough to keep from falling all over himself just yet, though
he can climb steps now.
Simba!
I’ve also had the change to meet some new friends and hang
out with some old ones- there always seems to be something to do (and if you
know me, marking papers always finds its way to as near to the bottom of the
list as possible!)
I had been worried about my beloved Kanungu for a little
while, but was able to meet up with one of the directors, and over lunch he
allayed my concerns and I’m more excited about the library than ever. I also
managed to quote the Bible in that conversation in relation to my concerns. It
was a little strange. Like having the ultimate citation/evidence to back up
your point, but I’ve never been one to preach. Don’t worry all; I’m not going
off the deep end. Kanungu just deserves the best, most pure, and most moral aid
possible. There is so much need, and so much ability to give. It is a great
challenge and a great source of hope for me and a community of children and
young adults. As always, still working on getting proposal approvals and
financial data, so when I can call on you, my dear friends, for support, I’ll
have lots of lovely information to share.
Some of the students our library will serve someday!
That’s all for now, though the adventure continues! As does my pile of grading...
Lots of Love,
Diane
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