2012-2013 is finished!

We have finished the 2012-2013 school year with lots of fun and festivities, as well as a few sad goodbyes.

On Sunday, I took my darling husband to the airport for his next adventure in Jordan. From what I can tell, he's mostly enjoyed running in fresh, dust-free air and hanging out with our friend Brad, who he's staying with while there. He finalized his Arabic lessons schedule yesterday, and he was supposed to start at 8am this morning. I hope to get another update this afternoon.

In the meantime, I have finished my school year. We threw a surprise baby shower for two of my colleagues that are expected to deliver during the summer. The ladies were totally shocked and appreciative, and the whole elementary staff came to enjoy it. Team "Grade 1" is the best.

 

As with tradition, yesterday was our final staff day and the school-wide breakfast. We get to school around 8am and eat an amazing catered breakfast provided by the school director. Afterward, awards are passed out to honor those with 5 & 10 years of service, as well as those leaving the school. It's always a fun day (mostly because we finish at 10:30...), but it's hard to say those last goodbyes to people leaving. This year, my elementary principal is retiring, a lady who I respect and care for dearly. Next year will be very different without her, but as always, I know that the elementary team will carry on and do what we do best.

 

In other news, I'll be in the States next Tuesday! I'm ready to get out of the dust, but it's hard to leave here every year. Our friends and colleagues have become like family to us, but we miss our friends and family in the States still. Oh, the complexities of living and working overseas!

6 days 'til Boston
10 days 'til Pittsburgh
20 days 'til Chris

another year gone by

Here we are in June. JUNE! - that blessed time of year when teachers and students everywhere rejoice that the academic year has come to an end and two months of separation prepare us for the following year. I have three work days left. Can you tell I'm excited? Somewhere between when I last posted and this post, I dropped scalding hot tea on my leg. After about three weeks, it's healed well enough that I will risk exposing it to the sun, so I'm really ready to hit the pool.

The tail end of May was a whirlwind, as I mentioned getting ready for our International Day Show at school. It turned out to be pretty amazing, and of course, my students had the best performance. Chris was even able to come, so I was glad to have him there, too.

my little Frenchies

all of Grade 1

caught giving "teacher eyes" during the National Anthem

I closed out the hectic week of rehearsals and performances by celebrating my 29th birthday for the first time on May 31st. If ever there was a weekend full of fun and laughter, that was it! I'm so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and "family" over here, as well as around the world. We had a few great meals prepared for us, and I received a number of sweet notes and presents from family, students, colleagues, and friends. Thank you again! I think the most exciting present was the guitar Chris gave me. I'll be sad to leave it this summer...

This past Wednesday, we had our annual end-of-year breakfast for my school's elementary staff, which is always a lot of fun. After we go to work, we usually leave around 9:30 for breakfast, and then we have the rest of the day off. Pictured here are about half of the amazing ladies that I work with in the AAG elementary school.

 

Pictured below is my amazing teaching assistant, Gehan, and our awesome ES secretary, Shaima'a. Without these two ladies, I would probably go gray a lot sooner.

 

Chris is preparing to leave for Jordan and his summer Arabic study tomorrow. As far as I can tell, here is a tentative schedule of what our summer will look like. It's always an adventure!

- June 9: Chris leaves for Jordan
- June 18: Stephanie leaves for Boston
- June 22: Stephanie leaves for Pittsburgh
- June 29: Chris returns to Kuwait
- July 1: Chris leaves for Boston
- July (2?): Stephanie returns to Boston
- July 8-16: Chris & Stephanie travel to Iceland
- July (28?): Chris & Stephanie go to Pittsburgh
- August (18?): Chris & Stephanie return to Boston
- August 20: Chris and Stephanie return to Kuwait

"The heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

the show must go on

In my elementary school, we are currently rehearsing for an International Day show of epic proportions. Each class in grades 1-4 has been focusing on one country of study in Social Studies from mid-April, which will culminate with a dance show performed by students for parents on May 28th. Well, at least that's what it was a few weeks ago.

As of the last few weeks, the show seems to be getting more press and interest, so we may not only have parents on May 28th, but we might also have newspaper photographers, dignitaries or representatives from embassies, officials from the Ministry of Education, President Obama...just kidding about that last one. The event is growing larger and larger though, and I hope that my little kiddos are up for it! We are not supposed to tell them about the growing number of people that will be attending, but I don't know if it's worse for them to be surprised.

My (1A's) class song is "Be Our Guest" from the Disney movie Beauty & The Beast. I chose it because it's lively and the kids are familiar with the words and tune. I've been fretting a bit about whether or not we'll be ready to perform in this extravaganza in (EEK!) less than two weeks, but I've realized that no one will actually care how synced all of their steps are. They're cute kids in matching dresses, singing something that has to do with France, and everyone will love them anyway. It will be nice if they aren't paralyzed with stage fright.

There have been a lot of pieces to this puzzle, including actually teaching them about France, having a tailor to individually measure each student and make their dresses, buying accessories (including matching shoes), choosing a hairstyle/song/dance steps, and sending home lots of those "Please send 10kd for this or that" notes. Our secretary is a saint and the one ultimately organizing the show and serving as the liaison to the school's directors.

 Posted throughout are a few pictures from rehearsal the other day. We're practicing on the ES playground, but we also practice on the stage in our auditorium, which is where the show will be held.

More updates on my sanity and our sure success will follow!
(p.s. If I'm not in the States by my anticipated date of June 18th, someone should come looking...)

April already?!

As happens with most years, this one has accelerated after our school's winter break. I can't believe that the last time I posted anything was in JANUARY! At any rate, here are some random goings-on in our lives and a few snapshots to let you know we're still alive. We've a had a roller-coaster February, March, and April, but we love where we are and what we do.

Jordan
During the National Day weekend in Kuwait, we traveled to Jordan to visit our friends who previously taught in Kuwait. We did some sand-boarding, desert camping, doing the "Harlem Shake" (check us out!), eating lots of good food, and snorkeling in a matter of four days. It was an awesome time of catching up, and we hope to do something like that again.

 

National Day
Before our trip, I had the customary National Day extravaganza celebration at school, complete with a bazaar, food, dancing, and traditional outfits. My students are so adorable in their little dara'as.

Bowling Tournament
The Young Adults from church had a bowling tournament on three Fridays during March, and since Chris and I lead one of the life groups, we got to go have fun with them. These guys and gals take bowling seriously...fun!

 

Sri Lanka/End of March
At the end of March, Chris and his friend Kyle went to Singapore to an English conference, where Chris presented his foundation English program's methods for assessing grammar. GUST (the university where he teaches) sent him there with a nice stipend, which was great for us. On the way back, Chris and I met in Sri Lanka and Kyle carried on back to Kuwait. We spent 4 or 5 days there, mostly relaxing and spending unhurried time together. We also ate a ton of amazing seafood and swam/snorkeled each day at a beach we found the last time we were there, and we visited a turtle hatchery.

Easter/Early April
Easter for us was fairly low-key this year. Chris worked on Easter Sunday, but we had a big dinner hosted by some friends in our life group on Monday night. We sang some songs, took communion together, and enjoyed a great time of conversation. Also in April, Chris' flute quartet gave a recital in the auditorium of his university, and lots of our friends and his students came to support him. Thanks, guys! I will try to get some better pictures of that up later.

  
End of April
Finally, here we are at the end of April, when we celebrate Earth Day. My class made Trash Monsters out of reused tissue boxes and paper on Thursday, since we are on our Spring Break at school. We have one full month to prepare for the International Day show, when my students will be performing "Be Our Guest." My class is studying France this year, so we are doing a little throwback to Belle and Beauty and the Beast. It's every 1st graders dream, really. I also went to a women's retreat yesterday, held for ladies from all of the Lighthouse Church's services. There were 350+ women there, and it was seven hours of amazing worship and teaching. It proved to be a much needed respite and a great way to start off my week-long holiday.

 

 

Well, there you have it. That's the last few months in a nutshell. I'm sure I'm omitting something in there...until next time.

Ms. Popularity, among 7 year-olds

My new class is growing on me, but I miss my little sweethearts from last year. At dismissal time each day, I can sometimes be annoyed by lots of little girls repeatedly yelling "Ms. Stephanie!" until I look over at the Grade 2 lines and wave hello or blow them a kiss. I also secretly love it...it's like a little heart squeeze to have previous students come up and hug me or say hello throughout the day. 

from AAG's Mother's Day celebration, 2012

Another September

There ought to be a classification like "Sweet 16," "AFC champions," or "Stanley Cup Finalists" for teachers who make it through the first month of school. Or the first two weeks. It could be based on a 1-10 rating of how much sleep a person got, how unscathed s/he looks, and how many students weren't lost. Actually, lost students would probably be cause for automatic elimination, but I digress. Working through the beginning of a school year is quite a prestigious feat that deserves a lot more attention than it gets. Just saying...

We're in it- another September here in Kuwait. This is the fifth school year here for Chris and myself, and it has started out as one of the craziest for me. The events of this September were not really all that extraordinary but the NUMBER of events and tasks that I've had to organize have been significantly more than in past years. Let me explain.

First, Grades 1-3 have moved into a new addition to my school, which is adjacent to the older building. It's a great place, with spacious classrooms and state-of-the-art technology, so I'm really privileged to have my classroom in it. The only hitch was that my assistant and I basically moved the entire contents of my old classroom into my new classroom by ourselves. Three days before students started. Needless to say, we were a little busy.

At the same time, I had the opportunity to oversee an outreach to teachers that we did through our church service. Since Chris was in the States later than I was, when I got back, I had to take over most of the responsibility for organizing the event and the preparation leading up to it. Now, I don't say that to make myself sound important at all. In fact, I feel like I struggled to survive through the last few days before the outreach, which happened to be days #3, #4, and #5 of school. Thankfully, Chris arrived on day #3 of school, so he could take over some of the phone calls and catch me as I collapsed into a heap at the end of days #4 and #5.

I'll write another post on the details of the outreach, which ended up going amazingly well. I know that God used it to get lots of teachers (new to Kuwait and others) connected to our service and other Christians in the country. And really, that was the point. For now, I'll get back to my school work and tidy up at the end of another Saturday.

from Kuwait to the States 2012

Here's what happened...

Chris had been planning to teach summer classes this year for a number reasons, one of which being that he just likes to work. We had been talking about the possibility of staying in Kuwait for an extended time this summer since about March, so I also found summer employment, teaching EFL at the British Council in Kuwait. My regular school year finished with students on May 31st, and teachers were required to be at the school until June 12, packing up our rooms and getting ready for Grades 1-3 to move to the new extension building that should be finished by the end of summer. I should have had plenty of time to rest between June 12th and June 20th, the date I was supposed to start at BCK. Obviously, that did not happen.

After asking many times about teaching summer classes, Chris kept coming away with little information, though he was assured he'd be teaching. He wasn't aware or informed that the enrollment for summer classes at his university began at midnight of the first day of summer classes. That morning, Chris went in and only three students had enrolled in his section, upped to six or seven by mid-day. (Generally, summer classes are pretty light, anyway.) When he talked to his supervisor about it, she said that the students could be placed into other sections or she could have someone else teach his course, because there was a long waiting list to teach. (Summer classes compensate very well.)

French colors on International Day/Last Day

When Chris mentioned this to me on that Sunday morning, I sort of jumped to reason with him about leaving. I was looking forward to unhurried time with friends and teaching in Kuwait until the end of July, but now the chance to spend extra time in Massachusetts and/or PA was presented. After a few hours of going back and forth on the phone about it (I was at school packing, Chris at his school), considering some recent events at home, and Chris calling in the opinions of some of his friends, he decided to pass off his class and head for the States. The following day. One. Day. Later. And, he wanted me to be ready to leave with him.

cat nap in D.C.

That presented a hitch, because I didn't have my ticket info. from the school's travel agent yet, which meant I couldn't change my ticket until I got it, which generally would have resulted in failure because nothing in Kuwait is done quickly or efficiently. But, we had favor. I asked the director on Monday, June 11th if I could have my ticket information and leave that evening, because I had already packed and secured everything in my room, all of my accounts, etc. She said yes! So, I then spent the next four hours on the phone with the agent, United Airlines, and everyone in between trying to iron out my flight details. I was also trying to ready our flat for the summer dust by covering furniture, cleaning out the fridge, taping some of the windows, etc. 

My ticket was booked with an agent, but I changed it online (WARNING: never do this), so I talked to the whole staff. Even at the airport, Chris and I were at the check-in counter for at least two hours, dealing with the fact that my change of ticket and fare expenses had been paid. My newly printed itinerary had been confirmed, which I had a receipt and print-out from, but it was not reflected in their computer system. Finally, and by the grace of God, the guy said, "I don't have time to do this anymore. Here's your boarding pass. You'll have to get your onward ticket in Washington [D.C.] and take care of any fees there." From that point, we had fifteen minutes to go through security and get to the gate before they closed it. Thankfully, the Kuwait airport is relatively small, they are not too strict in security measures for Americans, and it was uncrowded because it was 12:30a.m.

ready to ship from BOS

In the 12 or 13 hours it took us to cross the Atlantic, one of our three attempts to pay the extra $$$ must have gone through, because the lovely attendant at the United counter in D.C. simply printed and presented my onward boarding pass to me. Sleep deprived and ready to be in Boston, Chris stated, "I love America," thanked her, and we waltzed over to customs. After checking our accounts later, we were in fact only charged once for the change of ticket. It was just another (harrowing) opportunity to trust God and learn a few things about the airline industry in the process.

We arrived in Boston somewhere around 10a.m., Chris like a zombie, and myself as fresh as a daisy. I really like sleeping on airplanes...don't be jealous. 

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"

"Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

Psalm 8:3-4, 9 (ESV)

La Charreada

Time for a random post...

We are working on our international units in Social Studies this week. My class is studying France, and I'm not sure why I picked that, being that I speak Spanish semi-fluently and have lots of teaching resources for Spanish and Hispanic cultures. There's always next year. To kick off the beginning of my work week, here's Linda Ronstadt on Sesame Street, singing about "Charros" with Elmo and Parker.



Some real, live "charros," ca. 2004.

 

National & Liberation Day 2012

This past Wednesday was our school's National and Liberation Day celebration. In elementary, we celebrated by having an extended flag ceremony, and each class performed a very Kuwaiti style song/dance. The elementary secretary and one of the class assistants taught a different dance to each class during two periods per week for the last month in preparation for this event. I even went with them on a few occasions to help out, which ended up being really fun. I also went to one of the local shops before the performances to find a unifying theme or costume item, and I came up with some butterfly wings done in the colors of the Kuwait flag. The girls looked so cute!



 Here's our hallway bulletin board. We made the shape of the Kuwait flag from little country outlines and camels that have the girls' names on them.

We had lots of treats (cupcakes with Kuwait's current flag and the old flag's colors) and it was pretty much a non-teaching day. It seems like we've had a lot of those lately... Here you see me with J, whose mom is an assistant in our Early Childhood program at the school. They are a fun family! (You can see her mom in the red head scarf in the video, taking pictures.)

This is a great month for people in the car detailing business:

 As much as I'm tempted to complain about certain aspects of these celebrations, they really are something to see. I'll be sure to post pictures if we see anything crazy tomorrow.

Jazz, Cats, and Look-alikes

Two Thursdays ago, I went to an Ahmadi Music Group concert featuring the singers themselves and a jazz band called the Kuwait Jazz Collective. I can't tell you how amazing it has been to see and hear such talent in a country that, as a whole, doesn't particularly value the arts. Chris has performed with them for a few of their events, which has been a special treat for both of us. The conductor, Richard Bushmann, is always cooking up something new. This particular concert featured the music of Duke Ellington. If you don't know much about him, you can take a look at his official website, presumably run by his estate. At the concert, the groups performed selections from Ellington's three "Sacred Concerts," which included themes from a lot of old spirituals, combined with the music styles uniquely Ellington.

On a somewhat related note, Chris and I occasionally see strangers throughout our travels that look like our friends from PA. It's weird when we do, because most of the people we interact with are not western and do not have European features, and most of our friends at home do. It's a funny surprise. At the concert the other night, there was an amazing alto soloist whose similarity in appearance to my friend Megan W. was uncanny. This "look-alike" surpassed the previous frontrunner, who was an Egyptian guy that looked like our friend Mike B...but surprisingly not like his brother.

Last week, Chris traveled with our friend, Kyle, to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. He came back probably more tired than when he left, but with a new appreciation for Southeast Asia. I'll post more on his vacation once I get more story details, but he said that the natural beauty of the area mixed with the present poverty and the history were very sobering things.

A number of schools had holidays at the end of the semester, so lots of people were out of Kuwait for the last two weeks. I volunteered to watch my friend's cat while she was gone, which was more than I bargained for. Rather than having to drive to her building everyday, I brought Meeshu to our place. He proved to be good company while Chris was gone, but also confirmed the fact that I will probably never own a cat. There are pigeons that sit on the outside of our windowsills, so I learned to clear all objects near them quickly, especially after one of my perfume bottles was knocked over and broken...

At school, I'm busy getting the students ready for the National and Liberation Day holidays. Our curriculum and activities focus on Kuwait's history and cultural heritage throughout the month of February in light of these events on the 25th and 26th of the month. Celebrations, decorations, and sales have been plentiful since this year's Parliamentary elections on February 2nd. Thursday was Sports Day for the elementary and early childhood students, so we spent the day at Yarmouk Sports Club in various competitions by grade levels. The kids had a blast as usual, but my voice is a little on the raspy side today. Next year, I need to remember my whistle!

Last night, we went to the American Embassy with some friends and heard the Volunteers of the The US Army Field Band. We loved being able to end the week with good music, good friends, good food and drinks, all set on a cool patio and lawn area. When we go there during this time of year, it reminds me of a cool summer evening at a pub at home.We've had a bit more dust, wind, and rain in the last few weeks, so my guess is that Spring is on its way to Kuwait. The mornings have been really hazy, so much that it's hard to tell where the sky ends and the water begins, but the temperature is perfect right now.

21 Bundles of Joy

...more like bundles of exhaustion hyped up on ice cream, but I love my kids, and I love Zoo Day. 

Class 1A, 2011-2012

The more years that I'm an educator, the more I find that increased "obstacles" make my job more rewarding. Sometimes, initially working with particular students is so mind-boggling and frustrating that I lose a lot of sleep. Now into Quarter 2 of the school year, we (especially the girls) are reaping the benefits of consistent discipline, consistent practice, and lots of love from their teacher. I guess that rearing children is a little like this, and it's a little like my walk with God, but He isn't perplexed by my slowness to learn or be obedient.

Now, to the personalities. If you click on the picture, you can enlarge it.

Check out:

- my "diva," last row, 3rd from right.

- the sweetest girl ever, front row, on the ground to my left

- the...most active...one, front row, 3rd from left

- my sweetheart who hasn't spoken to me yet, front row, over my right shoulder

- Kuwaiti Barbie, my assistant (I would tell her this!), last row, 2nd from right

All the rest of them make my days and my heart very full, too.

Class 1A, 2011-12

There's always one character...middle row, third from Left.
Actually, I have four who will create a real challenge for me this year.
But, challenges are good.

Learning About Plants

In Grade 1A, we just finished up our first science unit about plants: their parts, their life cycles, and how we can classify them. This is heavy stuff for the 6 yr olds, but I'm happy to report that they all passed the test! Here are some fancy little flowers we made from tissue paper and pipe cleaners. I know- I'm a genius.

Now, if I can only get the kids to keep their germs to themselves, we'll be in business. I missed a few school days last week, and I absolutely hate to miss teaching days, but I'm on the mend.