First Day of Classes

Classes started off with a bang (actually a sreech). A siren from a police car was used as a bell to start classes. This recording is used throughout the day to signal the change of classes. This noise is all outside but can be clearly heard throughout the two buildings. a class schedule appeared this morning. Now we know what each day and the week looks like.
Classes start at 7:30 and end at 12:50. We have a 40 minute break in the middle of all this for a light lunch. The lunch today was a rice dish with veggies, sliced hotdogs, chicken and covered with ketchup.
Several problems emerged in the upper level English classes. We spent the time engaging in conversation about what happened last summer, what they liked and disliked and and introduction of me which included additional questions from them. There is a huge difference between student who attended the school in the past and those who are new. This is a problem that has not been addressed. The higher the grade, the greater the problem.
Mary Jane reports that students pre-kinder through fourth are poorly equiped with English. Their instruction in the past was done by people not eqipped in English. It would be like either of us teaching lower level Spanish. The teacher assigned this year is a first year teacher with fairly good English. However, there is no orientation of new teachers and nor written curriculum. This is a fight in total darkness. We have some major work to do with the lower grades.
Students are very polite and respectful. There is much more of a human touch and concern than is typical of US students. A fifth grade girl got up out of her seat and attempted to kill a bug that was bothering a boy ahead of her. Beat that for concern about the little things.
In general, the same old story about learning a second language exists; much more is understood than can be spoken. We will have extensive work to do with spoken English in the upper grades.
We were both dragging a part of our bodies as we got home today. (Guess!)