A busy time

The past couple of weeks have been very busy so I have only just got around to trying to update my blog.

Last week we saw the handing over of the flags of Paraguay and then St. Andrew's flag, from the seventh grade students (now in the secondary department) to the 6th grade students. This is always an important ceremony as far as the children are concerned. Speeches for the handover are learned by heart.

I have found myself rushing to grab my lunch this year so that I can be back in the library to oversee students. The weather has been so hot that the library has been very busy at lunchtimes. It is the coolest place in the school. The children all thought that they could treat it like a coffee and chat place to come, but we are enforcing the "Quiet" rule, so I need to be around. The children are enjoying playing chess and reading in the quiet and coolness.

In my classes the children have been listening to Bible stories about Forgiveness. They have really enjoyed the stories and the discussions afterwards have been enlightening. Several shared the pain that they have felt from family break-up and from maltreatment by others. Some shared how forgiving people has led them to peace in their heart. My classes have been quite emotional at times.

 

The children have been working on producing posters of verses about forgiveness, to put around the school in places where others cannot miss seeing them. It has been a valuable exercise.

Today the Primary elections were held for Team Captains. They were run as real elections, with a secret ballot in booths and everybody had to give a fingerprint to prove that they had not voted twice.

The count was overseen by everybody, so there was no "fiddling". Inevitably there was disappointment for some children and their parents and there were a few tears but a prayer and a few words of encouragement for some of them helped.