Classes restarted in earnest this past week after a rather eventful term break. There was at first a trickle then a torrent of students from Thursday the 7^th until about midweek on the 13^th. I’m elated to be working with the kids again and to see the school come to life. I cherished my break but it lasted about as long as I was able to enjoy it and ended before the point of having to tolerate it.

A return to school means that I am starting the science program I’ve been planning for a month and a half. The director of education Julianne Percy, had asked me to plan to teach a short science period for each class once a week and while I think it might be possible for me to be more excited, I really can’t think of what would do the trick. As my good friend Raynen Sanfilipio would tell you: “Science is COOL!”

The first week was a terrarium building project for each class. I got 8, 4 liter bottles and asked each class to fill them with layers of sand, charcoal, soil from the garden and little bits of extra ‘experimental’ substances like eggs, potatoes, carrots and stuff to go bad and hopefully grow all sort of disgusting stuff. Added to this I asked each class to go on a bug hunt to find some new residents for the terrarium. I know some of them have turned out better than others and that some of the bugs will meet their fate a little sooner than they otherwise might have, but after adding water and plants to the bottles we sealed them up and put one in each classroom to watch over the next 12 weeks. I didn’t take many pictures because I was too busy at the front of the class but I plan to take a photo with each classes science project in the coming weeks. Fortunately Julianne Percy was on the prowl with her camera and got some snapshots. I will post more of these as they become available, here.

In addition to science I am still teaching the grade six math class and it is nice to see the students came back remembering some of the material. I’m not expecting to move mountains but it is gratifying to see such improvement. I have previously written about the challenges of teaching math here so each success in that class is magnified. I will miss teaching reading and English but the head teacher is back from her sick leave and so I can focus more on adding my skills to the school than being a regular substitute.

There is an important element to the role I am in here. Due to it’s temporary nature and the goal of my presence here, I should not be essential to the running of the school. I should be oil in an already running engine. I feel that this term I will be more able to fill that role. In the first term there was a temporary staffing shortage at the beginning of term that Sarah and I helped alleviate. The newly hired teachers are now here and integrated into the MICS family and teachers who had to take unexpected leaves have returned and one can tell that there is an energy and comfort level that wasn’t present at the beginning of my first term.

Chapel is currently focused on the book of James and the main takeaway thus far seems to be building up the idea of how and why Christians should behave differently than those in the secular world. We are trying to communicate that conscious every day decisions have to be made that won’t always be easy. To guide us we are using the children’s program supplied by the Meeting House. If you want more info on that you should check them out; the Church for people who aren’t into Church.

This term will have challenges that the last one did not. Chiefly the weather. It will be incredibly hot for an unreasonable amount of time and as I write this it is 31 C in the shade. I initially packed for an African winter/Canadian late spring climate, but during my trip to Lusaka (more on that in a later post) I was able to get some hand-me-down summer clothing. I still have to buy some shorts though. I really don’t know what I’m going to do. I am a cold climate guy. I like to sleep in a near freezing room wrapped in blankets with my foot poking out. I have already had sweaty and sleepless nights. I’m told the rains will come in mid to late November and that they significantly cool things and additionally paint the landscape in incredible and vivid colours. In my opinion, this cannot happen soon enough.

I think the plants would agree with me on that point too. Already some are turning green in preparation for the rain.

We have a few new boarders this term and they have integrated nicely into the group already. In grade 3, Joshua is new to MICS and three girls are going from grade 1 and 3 day-scholars to part-time boarders. I am glad to see how easily the students made the change thanks in part to the helpfulness and welcoming attitudes of the other boarding students and staff.

Please write in the comments anything you would like for me to focus more on. Any questions or clarifications you’d like. I have had some trips and events I haven’t written about due to the magnitude of the previous post like a long distance race, trips to the towns/cities in Zambia, a cow farm, a safari, and more. I won’t be able to prevent plenty of editorializing from creeping in so there will be that no matter what.

I’ve been positively overwhelmed with messages of support since the last post and while I realize it was a personally important one I would like to return focus more on my time in Zambia. Thank you so much for the messages of support and debate I’ve received.

God Bless you and ours.

P.S. Pictures forthcoming.