Acorns and Oak Trees

I have talked about school growing a few times in the last few years. Last week I thought it was time to make final class lists for 2017. When I say final you should really read 'this weeks' ... somehow new children always seem to be starting. So anyway I made the list. In January I had 146 children and I really dont know how but last week we had 151. Children around here seem to multiply! 

A few weeks ago Facebook reminded me that it was 6 years since I posted these pictures.

 That means it was over 6 years since these pictures. 

And in February this I took this. 

It wasn't in my plan. Sometimes I wonder how it happened.

I sent the picture below to my Dad who replied saying "Out of small acorns grow mighty oaks." Well, if thats the case my advice to you is be careful where you plant your acorns! 

This blog is not the easiest to post pictures on. You may have noticed in previous posts sometimes the pictures are laid out in a strange way or don't quite 'sit' right... Normally by the time I post it I have spent at least half an hour trying to move the pictures into the right place. If anyone knows how to do it PLEASE let me know! 

It's what's on the inside that counts!

The dust bath, after some rain.

In the last few weeks I have been a little obsessed with the state of the outside area at school. It’s fair to say that it’s a mess!!  Where there was once lush, green grass we now have what can only be described as a dust bath unless it rains, then its all about the mud.

Collecting old blocks for
one of teacher Abi's plans!

It's great for animals who like that kind of thing. Not so great for teachers, especially when the children don’t seem to mind it! Every day is a battle with dust in the classrooms making everything a little dirty. Add to that the plants that have either died or been trampled on and you create a perfect environment for my dis-satisfaction to grow!

The new boarder for the garden.
To be finished next week.

So, I have started collecting ideas.  Some of them seem like sky high dreams others are a bit more realistic. I still haven’t come up with an answer as to what I can put on the ground instead of grass or dirt but slowly we have been improving the outside area. Today we painted blocks and planted various things in the holes.

In the last few weeks I have had my paint brushes out and done a few minor jobs around school. Slowly, oh so very, very slowly, it is improving.

Every map I found of Zambia
seemed to be different!

As I was thinking about it all I realised its not really about the outside area. It will make me happier not to have dust everywhere and will look nice to have flowers but really its about whats on the inside that matters. What is really happening not the show that we can put on for people to see on the surface.

That’s a bit like our lives… it’s not about the show but its about what really is going on inside that matters.

Phonics Lesson

Writing

So with that in mind I need to remember sometimes the dust is useful!

Grade 5 reading

A lesson in writing using the dust.
(See the pic below)

Using a stick to write

Grade 1 working hard

Grade 2 listening and learning

Breaktime fun 

Happy Children!

Book sharing

A new year

Monday started at 6.40am with a list of just over 90 names. The names of children who had been in school last year. There is always an anticipation about who will report back to school as there seems to be a culture of changing schools regularly in Zambia. Then, we had to factor in the rain. If it's raining we must wait for the rain to finish before we can do anything. Some days only 10 children come to school when it's raining, or has been raining.

I think I need a gutter!

Floods

I have been fighting against learning a long and hard lesson in patience.  So, sitting in my (new) office on Monday morning, looking at my list, I had no idea what was about to happen but expected no children to come until whatever time the sky cleared.

My lovely, spacious, clean (not quite tidy) office.

By the time 9.00am came, regardless of the rain, I sat looking at a list of 120 names! I have since been told that another school had only 35 children report on Monday due to the rain. (A school with more grades and children than Taonga) So, on day one, 90 of the 100 children from last year had returned to school and 30 new children had been enrolled.

Uncle K and Uncle J

Grade 3 and 5 were very excited as they are in new classrooms that were finished during the December holiday. Koch, Jay and I were also very excited as we had our new offices. The 'old' children were happy to be back with their friends. The new children were excited about their adventure at the school run by Teacher Abi! There have been a few tears from little ones and lots of wide eyed stares as they get use to their new surroundings.

Grade 3 in the new classroom

The rest of Monday flew past in a bit of a blur - between helping with the 'criers', double checking the lists, checking in with teachers and making to-do lists.

On Tuesday morning there was slightly less rain. Again I started the day looking at the list of names and working out how many spaces we still had left in each class. By the time we locked the gate an hour earlier than on Monday, at 8am, all but 4 of the existing children had returned. (96) All of the children who started on Monday came back. (30) Plus another 15 new children had enrolled so the total on Tuesday morning was 141. Between then and now the total has reached 145.

Baby class fun

Baby class eager to go into their classroom

On Thursday morning as I sat in my office contemplating how these 145 children had become my responsibility (I daily wonder!) I was really struck by how they have all been placed at Taonga School. I don't believe they are here by chance. Why was it this child and not their neighbour that got a place. Why did they come on Monday to register when their friends parents didn't come until Wednesday when we were full. It's always hard to turn away children. My teachers hear 'just one more' far to regularly and I have to be very strict to stop at 30 children per class. Parents plead with me to 'squeeze their child'. I believe God plans our steps and makes our paths to cross. I don't know the purpose of all of these children being at Taonga school. Maybe it's because they need feeding, maybe it's because they need some love and attention, maybe it's because the ability to read will help them later in life, maybe they will go on to change the world... whatever the purpose I pray God will work in each of their lives through what they see, hear and learn.

Grade 5 waiting outside their new classroom

Proverbs says "We make our plans, but the Lord orders our steps." True in the big scheme of things, my plan was to be in Zambia for 1 year and help with the boys at the farm. Also true in the details, he knows all of 'my' children and brought them to Taonga School.

But, for now, 145 children is enough!

The view from my office