A rip-off or good business?

Ninth graders set up stalls this week to show off their business acumen. They had set up small businesses ranging from a cookie making business to the development of an invention to hold a cell phone as it recharges.

They all had fun and they were quite competitive. I fell for the invention at a high cost! The pupils sold it well, both verbally and in attractive packaging.

Paraguayan culture

Our Primary pupils are becoming experts about Paraguayan composers and poets. Profe Gustavo gave a presentation for the composer of the week and the poet of the week.

This was followed by a guitar recital of two well-known Paraguayan pieces by a visiting guitarist. The children were very attentive and the music was beautiful.

Helping others

Today there was great excitement on the Primary patio as the children in second grade held their "feria de comidas" (a sale of "tuck"). They are trying raise funds to support the school in the Chaco that Profesora Pabla told us about.

Each grade in the school fund raises to help others less fortunate than themselves. They all have fun doing these projects.

Profe Graciela helps the little ones to serve cakes.

Profe Diego takes the cash. There

is no change!!! (Shrewd business tactics or what?!)

Pledge of allegiance.

Today Profesor Rolando gave us a history presentation on the foundation of Asuncion.

The children gave a talk about the Paraguayan flag and then the pupils pledged allegiance to the flag and the country.

Baby shower

Last Friday we had fun holding a Baby shower for "Auntie Rita". She is an ex-pupil who is now an art teacher and the Primary secretary. She was delighted with all the gifts that she recieved. She has two boys and has longed for a little girl. We are praying for a safe arrival.

An appeal to our students.

Today an appeal was launched in school by one of our teachers, Profesora Pabla. This morning she gave a presentation before appealing to our children to help. (We try to educate our children to help those less fortunate than themselves.)

During our school holidays she went to visit a large school in the Chaco. It was started 45 years ago by a priest, Pai Puku. Nearly thirteen years ago I was invited to the founding of radio Pai Puku Christian radio station, (named after the priest) at a nearby site. I will never forget that visit, my first real introduction to life in the Chaco and to the lovely indigenous people there.

The school has developed well over the years and although it is a basic affair, it is very impressive. The priest helped the locals to build it, using local materials. The walls are made with palm tree trunks. There was an initial vision to give these underprivileged children a rounded education that will serve them for the future. The school now covers a huge area of land and it is like a large village with lots of buildings.

The teaching staff live on site in small houses made from local materials. They are extremely dedicated and they work very long hours, supervising work and studies.

The school has grown to cater for 600 pupils now. They are all from very poor, indigenous families and they stay on site as boarders, with only one school holiday per year. The school is basically self-sufficient and they require little help from outsiders. The students' families are away, working on cattle ranches for little remuneration.

The school is a fantastic enterprise. The Upper secondary pupils learn carpentry and they build and repair all the school furniture (which is basic, but strong, made from local hardwood). Younger members of the secondary department learn to bake and cook. Some of the lads rise at 5.30 a.m everyday and they bake the bread for the day, in a highly praised modern oven.

Girls rise early to do the laundry in a specially constructed washing area, with lots of stone sinks (no washing machines!!!). Primary pupils learn to iron with huge, heavy irons which are heated over wood burners. They too rise early to do this before the day's classes begin. Other girls learn how to sew and to repair clothes.

There is a kitchen area where they cook over wood fires in huge pots. All the serving saucepans are kept spotlessly clean and shiny and the dining room is also clean, well-organized and very simple. The children are very proud of their school and they are tidy and organized.

Part of the school is a beautifully kept farm. The students grow their own vegetables and they are virtually self-sufficient. Local ranchers give them meat for free. They have had problems with droughts but now they have a large water tank to catch and preserve rain water. They learn how to conserve water.

When asked how we could help them, the request was for milk, chocolate milk, aound 600 cartons for Childrens' Day, which is coming up soon. The appeal went out today for each of our students to bring a carton, which we will send up to the Chaco. Our children were extremely attentive as Profe Pabla spoke with passion. I am sure that our students will respond well to help the indigenous children to have a wonderful Childrens' day.

The summer term begins

The Summer term has begun with freezing cold temperatures. The extra week of holiday "due to cold temperatures," ended up being warm and sunny until Friday. This week it is sooooo cold. We went down to two degrees celsius today.

In the library we have started new project work. The children are investigating and finding out about famous missionaries as part of their biographical studies. I started them off with the questions "What is a missionary? Where do they work? What do they do? "What do they look like? and "What equipment do they need?"

Here are some of the responses:-