First Day!

Tuesday was the first day of school in Haiti. It was supposed to be the beginning of September but the results of the National exam came out too late for the schools to have all of the information they needed on which students passed into the next grade, curriculum (printed and distributed) to the schools so the government postponed school for a month. The teachers have been coming in to read in the library and get their classrooms ready so I’d already started classes with them. I love seeing their smiling faces as we introduce ourselves over and over again.

Tuesdays I don’t teach in the school with the kids but it was wonderful to have them back. The chaos, noise, singing, chanting, and life they bring is contagious (and sometimes exhausting). The team we had here were excited to see the first day activities (which looks a lot like the other days)—assembly with songs and prayers—new uniforms, backpacks, etc. I went down to send off the team (to finish their project at Ibo Beach school) and one of the preschool teachers saw me and asked for help from across the courtyard. She had her hands full with kids who were no longer sure school was where they wanted to be. I’m sure while they were at home these 3 year olds were excited for school. And then they saw their mom, dad, neighbor leaving them there…it didn’t even take 5 minutes for the chaos to take over. All of the 3 year olds were in one room because we didn’t know who they were or which class they were supposed to be in. Their names were safety pinned to the backs of their shirts so we slowly divided them into their respective classrooms. Trying to have them sit down and not make a break for the door. Toys were not much of a distraction in a room full of 33 crying, screaming kids. Little by little they would calm down a tiny bit and then something would set them off again…I think there were probably 10 kids who did not cry at all.  I didn’t leave the classrooms. At one point I had one in my lap passed out, one on each knee also fast asleep. Crying is a tough and exhausting business. I almost had four but she wasn’t ready to sleep so she kept wandering behind the teacher in tears.

I think this is the normal beginning of the year. The other classes seemed to do fine. I wonder how long this is going to last in the littlest class. Though already I can tell it is much better (only intermittent screaming of all of them)—and this is only 4 days in!

No tears in the 4 year old class!