More sessions at the school in Grala

Message of the day: Everyone loves praise. Look hard for ways to give it to them. Shared by Kenita.

After an excellent breakfast at the Manor House, the Volunteers headed off to their respective assignments or prepared for lessons to be given in the afternoon. It was a rainy day, so we could expect some good sized puddles on the roads.

Kay and George’s day started out early when Kate picked them up at 7:30 am. Arriving at Grala school, we found that the school personnel were caring for someone who had slipped on the smooth, wet, tiled steps at the entry. With all the care she received, I’m sure she is OK.

Our class sessions were with the 3rd, 5th and 6th grades. In the 3rd grade, we had the students do the “Christopher Columbus” exercise in which they were to color the torso, arms and legs of Columbus (some colors were quite imaginative), cut out the parts, and then string them together to make a puppet. Their finished works of art were then hung on a bulletin board at the side of the room.

While taking a break in the teachers’ lounge between classes, we were informed that there would be an all school assembly at 10:00 to detail safety issues for the children. Because of this gathering, we did not meet the 5th grade; we were informed later that the students were very disappointed that the English lesson was canceled. The safety instructions were given by 2 police officers who spoke about facing traffic as one walks on the road, never accepting rides from strangers, bicycle safety, etc. This being a farming community, the children were cautioned not to drive tractors until they are 12 years old—even if their parents tell them to! After the 45 minute presentation, we resumed the usual schedule and met with the 6th grade.

We began this session with assigned homework of “Getting to Know You” in which students responded to the various question such as, “What sport are you good at,”? “Where do you do your homework,”? etc. The remainder of the hour was a contest in which the words “Independence Day” were written on the board and the students were challenged to find any English word using those letters and write it on the board. The contest was a hit and they learned some new words.

Kate, the teacher we work with at Grala, took us to visit the Regional Museum of Siedlce where we were befriended by one of the docents who graciously guided us and explained the displays room after room. We were joined by 2 of Kate’s friends employed at the museum who led us to even more displays including the library on the 2nd floor accessed via a narrow spiral staircase. After a delicious lunch at the Villa Park restaurant, we returned to the Manor House.

At dinner, we acknowledged that two of our volunteers, Brenda and Marilyn, would be leaving us. Others prepared for trips to Warsaw and Siedlce. While I looked forward to a quiet weekend and a laundry session at the Manor House.

Journal by George