Betsy McCallon's Reports

Everything is still going well here. We have settled into a very comforting routine. School keeps us quite busy, but I love having time for reading and writing as well. The daily tasks of living take longer--walking to the shop, gardening, cooking, washing--but I wouldn't trade it for circling the crowded supermarket parking lot in the U.S. The sisters are still wonderful and loving, but we didn't see them as often since everyone is busy. Sr. Florina is so kind to us as people, but we don't see her that often in the administrative role. The teachers pretty much run the show. Today we met to adjust the class timetable once more. One of the teachers resigned last week, and other teachers stepped in to fill the gaps. He had not received a check from the government in the 8 months he's been at St. Rodrigue. He finally couldn't take it anymore. It is a shame for the school; he was well-liked by students. He was also our closest friend!

I definitely feel like a regular teacher here now. Although at times we didn't know what is going on, we realized neither do most of the other teachers. I'm secretary of the Math & Science departments, which primarily means that I have to attend all the meetings and take notes. I did get an opportunity to accompany some students to a math and science competition. At another school, there were teams from 7 schools competing. It was really interesting to see the top students from the schools and to meet the other involved and motivated teachers. Unfortunately, all but two of the 14 were men, and the women did not really participate. I felt very comfortable, however, and took part in the planning session for the next quiz date. The school where the competition was held is fairly new, but it made me extremely grateful for the facilities of St. Rodrigue. They had only a few desks, no toilets, and certainly nothing extra like a library and science lab.

I'm also on the "Entertainment Committee" with a few other teachers to plan school events. We are working on a student/teacher trip to Swaziland in June. We organized races and games for Moeshoeshoe Day, and the students also performed songs and traditional dances. It was a great day.

I'm loving teaching, if not the grading! The students have a strange contradiction of being really excited for school and education, but a lack of motivation to do homework or outside work. I find a tremendous difference between my Form B classes and Form C. Perhaps it takes the reality of the exams to really kick you into gear. I think the fun novelty of having us as teachers has worn off, but it has been replaced by a respect for teachers that are working hard and pushing them to work hard. My Form C English class grumbles at me when I assign compositions, but one of the student's aunt (also a teacher) commented that the girls feel like their English is improving a great deal. Let's hope so!

I'm working on getting some organized athletics going, but changes aren't always easy to introduce. We are playing kickball, netball, and soccer with various groups of students. They are very competitive! I love that sporting events also turn into concerts. There is not a netball game lacking singing.

I guess I'll send this and sit back to work. Thanks so much for keeping in contact. I look forward to sharing stories when we return. It is certainly helpful knowing that others are so closely connected to something so important. Take care. My best to everyone in Grinnell!