Hot for Teacher!

Or more appropriately titled, Hot for School! C has started school here at a local public school. She goes from 12:30 to 5:30 everyday, which is taking some time to get used to. They say they do this because of the limitations on classrooms. I say Hot for School because as you can see the class rooms are not air conditioned and they leave the windows and doors open to get a breeze.

As with most schools there are many rules that must be followed. The first was figuring out the uniforms, they wear a skirt most days and depending on the day it is either the button down shirt or polo. With the exception of physical education day, they can then wear their PE uniform. The PE uniform is flannel lined polyester pants! Which seems strange since it is 85 degrees year around here. C is enjoying the uniform and getting to look like everybody else.

Her teacher speaks mostly Spanish to her and she does her best to understand. The style of learning here is very different with the teacher writing on the board and the students copying it down in their notebooks. There is not much instruction or discussion it appears just copying down what is written. So C just has pages of notes in Spanish! She is not sure what she is writing but doing a good job of trying to learn cursive. They start cursive writing here as soon as they learn to write. There is an English class everyday, but as C says " they are just doing easy stuff"! The teacher has already asked her to be her helper in English to help teach the class.

C likes having a friend at school, Victoria, that is in third grade. She is the daughter of a couple we meet that own a restaurant, Victoria's Restaurant that is open for lunch. He is American and she is Panamanian. It is really good food and at the most $4! They get to see each other everyday so that is good for C to have someone that she can easily speak to that speaks both Spanish and English.

Since there is no lunch at school we didn't think she needed a lunch box but that would be incorrect. She needed a lunch box for snack time. You can see what kind of lunch box she picked. As soon as she saw it she got excited and said that was the one she wanted in the midst of superheroes and princesses but choose this one for the sweetest reason, "for my daddy, since he loves the lakers so much I will get it"! Some things appear to be going right while raising her!

Earl