Support Staff Day

Here we are at the end of my second full week at Hebron. It has been a very interesting week as the initial meeting of classes is over and the students are having to do Prep and hand it in! For some of them this seems to be quite a surprise turn of events.

The bout of Gastro has finally cleared up and after being confined to the compound for 10 days I finally walked down to Modern Stores on Thursday afternoon. (I did take an auto up the hill!)
Today, Saturday, was Support Staff Day. This is the day all the support staff come to school with their families and enjoy a day of entertainment put on by the students and staff (management and teaching).

At the Staff Meeting on Thursday night we were given cue cards with strategic phrases such as ''vannakam'' for ''Hello'' and ''Nalla irukkingala?'' for ''How are you?'' It was interesting to wee their faces light up as I greeted them and they responded with ''Good morning!'' After morning tea there were various activities which were followed by a banana leaf meal served by the staff. following lunch I was involved with the Standard 10's on the clean-up detail.

 This meant the washing of the huge cooking pots as well as any other utensils which were used to prepare lunch. The last task the Standard 10,s had was to prepare afternoon tea for the students and staff. They made quite an artistic arrangement of the cookies!

Each dorm had specific tasks to perform throughout the day.
During the morning I did walk into town for some shopping, fresh oranges and candles, and managed to walk back up the hill. For those of you who know Ooty, this feat is quite an accomplishment for someone who has been on bland diet for 10 days!

The photo is of vendors setting up their wares across from the Government Botanical Gardens in Ooty. As it was before noon on Saturday there were not many people about. Later in the afternoon it would have been impossible to see the stalls.

 

Week 1 - meeting classes

It has been a great week right from the start last Saturday evening with the Talent Show with the A-levels. The skits presented were of high quality. The content was creative. The acting was superb! It was quite a contrast to the exhibition which we saw a year ago!

On Sunday I walked up Church Road to St. Stephen's Church. The seating arrangement in the church has changed as the girls from St. Hilda's now sit on both sides of the main aisle. The congregation of adults does not start until at least 10 rows from the front. There is no difficulty in hearing the pastor with his dramatic style. There was a music teacher from one of the other schools who played the piano along with violin accompaniment for the hymns. That was quite refreshing!
Much has been said about the water shortage and it didn't hit home until I walked by the school greenhouses in the afternoon and saw how parched the soil is becoming. We really do need a nice long slow rain to replenish the water table. My afternoon walk took me across town through some of the back alleys. It has always amazed me to see how people live in such  conditions. There are the shacks with metal roofs covered in blue tarpaulins and there are stone houses.

I was able to see the school site and realized once again how well hidden most of the school really is to the untrained eye. The "Big Pitch" can be seen as a sandy area in the centre-left. The "Teaching Block" of yellow buildings can be seen through the tress on centre-right.
On Monday I met the 2 Standard 8 classes was well as the 2 Standard 9's. Tuesday I met the 2 classes of Standard 10's and the introductions were over. Unfortunately I came down with a massive case of gastro and did the unthinkable. I actually sat down behind the teacher's desk to teach 4 lessons. I have been fighting this all week and have consumed litres of ORS (Oral Rehydration Salts) and am taking a Vitamin B supplement. Since Thursday the situation has been improving although I must still pay attention to what I eat. Hopefully the improvement will continue and I will soon be back to normal. for the present however, I am boiling the drinking water and keeping it in the fridge. The arrival of the fridge and the installation of the modem were the highlights of the week. I have been able to Skype with my wife which has made the separation seem less.
Today has been a very quiet day as the 13's are at Avalanche, the 9's and 10's at YF Camp at Quiet Corner, which will be anything but "quiet" this weekend. The other younger dorms all went on a hike for the better part of the day. It was a great time to catch up on some of the sleep I have missed.
Just yesterday, Friday, there was a treat left for me by the wife of the Vice-Principal - lovely cinnamon buns! They were a real treat this morning with a cup of tea!

Hello from Hebron - Feb. 2013

What a wonderful welcome I received on my return to Hebron. The flight from Montreal to Paris on Tuesday night was great and we arrived on time. The second flight from Paris to Bangalore during the day Wednesday experienced some turbulence. We did arrive 10 minutes early. The immigration was quick and easy and the luggage was not long in coming off the conveyor.
Wilson, my driver, had a sign which was easy to read and by 00:45 Thursday morning we were on the way from Bangalore to Ooty. We arrived at school at 7:40 just as the boys were filing to the Dining Hall for breakfast. "Our boys" from last year all came to welcome me and make me feel at home. It was great to see them all again. I had a quick breakfast in the enlarged Staff Dining Room and then went to bed at 4 hours.
I am staying in the Hoz flat right next to where Virginia was last year. The Hoz flat was formerly occupied by Wendy (Music HOD) and has 2 large rooms, a kitchen with 2 burner gas plate, cold water, and a fridge on order! (Centre and left upper windows) The bathroom consists of toilet and sink - cold water only! As all the other residents in the Hoz building are female, the shower is for women only. I have to walk across campus to the shower by the Public Relations office. With the water shortage the 3 minutes showers are to be as quick as possible!
At the Thursday night Staff Meeting, the principal, John Barclay, put me on the spot to say a few words. I recounted some of the discussion Gigi and I had about whether to return and which of us would return. It is great to see familiar faces as well as some who were there in 2007 and have return since last June.
My assignment is to teach French to Standards 8, 9 and 10. I met with Melinda, the French teacher who has cancer, and have received the necessary materials as well as class lists. I have 2 classes with 3 lessons each week with the 8's and 9's. I also have 2 classes with 4 lessons each with the 10's. That gives me a teaching load of 20 classes per week. There is the preparation and then 2 homework assignments for each class to correct each week. I will be rather busy.
Tonight the Standard 12 and 13 boys and girls are putting on a talent show. I am looking forward to enjoying the entertainment.
More later.
 

Return to Hebron

Just a short note to say, "Stay tuned" for further developments later this week as I should be at Hebron by February 7th.