School for the kids now: it's incredible! They started last Tuesday, so maybe incredible is a little ambitious, but I'm going with it. I'll break it down by each kid. Actually... I'm going to let them tell you. Let's see how Zoey does first...
Hi, I am Zoey. If you're reading this you probably already know that is my name. The school that I attend is QAQFC. I love it! My homeroom teacher's name is Miss Jean, my language teacher is just Miss, (No, that's really what she goes by.) My science teacher is Mr. Mohammad, my Physical Education teacher is Coach George, my math teacher is Mr. David, and my assistant homeroom teacher is Miss Erin. Our lunch is like a restaurant. There are so many different foods, I just try all of them. I have made a lot of friends in my 5/6 classroom of 14. Some of their names are Alaa, Mohammad, Mohammed, Kareen, Jewel, Rashid, and Nour. I probably forgot a few, but as you can see, they are very different names to remember. The teacher said we could bring books and phones and the next day when Miss Jean said you may have free time, they all pull out their iPads and Blackberries, iPhone 4s's. I love school, but it is very different. I meant to put 2 Mohammad's. There are 2 in my class.
Here is Livy...
Hi! This is Livy. School has been great, but it feels kind of weird because I am the only American in my class. Everybody else is Arabic - it is a good experience because I get to learn Arabic AND French, but the French teacher will not be here until next week. The way you learn another language here is just by them speaking it, and then you get used to it and just kind of know what they are saying eventually. I did not intend to take both languages, but the Arabic teacher comes in to our classroom and teaches, so I just listen and try to learn. I have already made lots of friends. Here are their names: Dana, (said like Dona) Noora, Omnia, Amr, Jessim, Zaina, Haba Ira, Mustafa, and that's about it. The food is really yummy, just like a buffet. Buffets here have like 1,000,000 foods! And they are all gourmet, and some of the names of them I can't pronounce! My homeroom teacher's name is Ms. Jennifer, my art teacher's name is Mr. Gabriel, my science teacher's name is Mr. Mohammad, my P.E. teacher's name is Coach George, and my math teacher's name is Mr. David. I absolutely LOVE this school! Goodbye!
While Drew is a pretty darn good reader and he can write, I'm not sure he's ready for blog posting quite yet. The reports we get from Drew are minimal, but we do know that P.E. is his favorite subject, he does not care for the food (shock), and he's made an awesome little buddy named Conor (who also happens to be our neighbor). I think Drew and Conor are the only two Americans in their first grade class. Drew is also learning Arabic, immersion style, 40 minutes every day. Really, it's 40 minutes officially for each of them, but with so many friends in class who speak Arabic as their first language, I think they're getting quite a bit more exposure than the planned 40 minutes. Pretty cool!
The uniforms have gone over pretty well. The girls don't mind them at all. Drew wasn't a big fan, but he wears it. He'll get used to it. Hopefully.
And that's how the kids are doing in Doha. They've been little troopers through it all and seem to be truly thriving. Zoey loves, loves, loves to try all the new foods. Livy has decided she wants to be a vegetarian, and this is a perfect place for that. There are quite a few vegetarian choices here. Drew....well, he's adjusting. It helps that he's made a new friend and started school. We're working on perfecting an eating and sleeping schedule that will help him be his best self. We've had some fun adventures and met some really sweet people. It's starting to feel more and more like home - as much as it can in a foreign country.
Now for just a few snippets and snapshots of where Steve and I work. We both are working at the same school. He is teaching 5th grade and I'm an Interventionist for 3rd grade. That's right, you bet I'm gonna capitalize my job title. Ha! We work with high needs kids who have learning disabilities ranging from ADHD to autism. Our class sizes are maxed out at 10. Steve has 7 students right now, and most of the 3rd grade classrooms have 10. My main job is to teach reading and language to small 3rd grade groups and one 1st grade group. Steve is placed in the secondary school, which is 5th-12th grades. Different. He teaches all subjects, except for Arabic and Islamic Studies. The dress code is quite professional. Steve wears a shirt and tie every day.
We both really love our jobs and our school. The students are pretty intensive, but it's the kind of intensive I love. We are both in the same building, but never see each other. We also have different supervisors, which is nice, because then we can complain about them to each other. I kid! I kid! The staff and supervisors are truly amazing, and I'm not just saying that in case they read this. My boss actually baked Zoey a birthday cake on her birthday. Pretty cool people here. Not just for their mad baking skills, either.
Pics from our school:
Steve's classroom
More from Steve's classroom
Mr. Steve - that's what they call him. Cute.
My room with three other teachers. This is just where our desks are. We are usually out with reading groups and covering for learning walks.
Elementary cafeteria
One of the many elementary playgrounds. It's still too hot for them to go outside for recess.
The library
Wolf tickets! No joke! Be safe! Be respectful! Be responsible! Be your best!
Seating in the entry way. I love these little caterpillar chairs.
The main entryway.
Fountain outside by the front entryway.
Me, by my desk.
My bulletin board. They ran out of borders - MYOB (make your own border). Don't judge.
My awesome team, sans one - who was taking the pic. Love this crazy group. We were taking our meeting very seriously.
And there it is... part two of three. Now you know where we live and where we work. Next up...where we play!
