Reopening School

 

I planned this blog approximately 5 weeks ago when we had been given the go ahead to open school. Time has flown by since then and Corona shut down seems like a dim and distant memory. We are open with smaller classes, children only in for a limited amount of time every day and everyone wearing face masks and washing their hands regularly. To add to the chaos we also bought the grade 5 and 6 children who had been learning elsewhere back on site for the rest of this term.	First Assembly after Corona
Temperature Checks	It works a little something like this:   206 children.   Each grade is split into 2 groups.   Baby class to grade 4 are in for 2 hours of learning a day. Group 1 starting at 8am and group 2 starting at 10.30am.   Grade 5 and 6 are in for 3 hours of learning a day with group 1 starting at 8am and group 2 starting at 11.30am
It feels like we have children coming and going all the time and should install a revolving gate but over the last 5 weeks we have got a pretty good system in place. Teachers are teaching the same lessons to two separate groups. It means less learning time but also much more focused work with teachers able to support the children in more meaningful ways.	Grade 1
Grade 4 measuring each other	When we opened school 15 children did not come back. We expected to have lost a few children as parents lost jobs and have moved away but it was very sad especially as a couple of them had been with me for a long time.
Overall the official figures for Corona virus in Zambia are very encouraging with low transmission rates and relatively low number of infections. We thank God for this and pray it will continue.	Patricia washing and combing hair