May 8-11, 2010

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Thought for the Day:

"We cannot all do great things, but we can all do small things with great love." Mother Theresa

We started our work day at 8:30 with a Team Building exercise, starting with Team Goals:

To provide English practice

To be personally enriched

To build bridges of understanding and respect

Next, we agreed on the characteristics of a successful team:

Common purpose

Mutual support

Non-judgemental

Sense of humor

Sharing ideas and experience

Involvement

Openness

Flexibility

Patience

Listening

Respect

Trust

Courtesy

Self-care

Responsibility

Enjoys the experience

The afternoon brought us a small taste of Polish culture, the everyday local variety, as well as an inkling of Polish hospitality. As special guests at the Niwiski School Community Fair, we were publicly recognized and thanked for volunteering to teach in Poland. We then joined the local dignitaries for tea and sweets. A lovely occasion.

But then, back home to Reymontowka to meet our principals and teacher colleagues and plan for the days ahead.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

The team convened at 5:30, just in time for an elegant “Welcome to Poland” dinner in the elegant Fireplace Room. The dinner table had been made even more elegant and welcoming by the students from Grala, who had prepared small bouquets of wildflowers and handmade cards.

After dinner, we introduced ourselves. Who are we?

Jim —Once an Air Force man, a “Remington Raider,” Jim spent 37 years as a teacher and drama coach. He lived and taught in Japan for a total of six years and was a Global Volunteer teacher in China three times.

Mary Martin—A Sister of Humility for 14 years, and now an Associate of the Order, Mary Martin was also an elementary school teacher in the United States for fifteen years, before shifting focus and efforts to Teaching English as a Foreign Language for the past 32 years. She traveled to Siedlce from a Global Volunteers project in Hungary, by way of a visit to Croatian cousins.

Audrey —Has also traveled over her lifetime, from her Liverpool birthplace to Wales and then to Canada as a 17-year-old. She’s been a private secretary, a full-time at-home mother and homemaker, and then a physiotherapist for special needs children, which she absolutely loved.

And then, introductions over, everyone went off to bed or, in Jim’s words, “. . . to be horizontal.”

Poland Sponsors Invest in Learning

Through the generosity of Global Volunteers' Poland classroom sponsors, the students of a small village elementary school are enjoying field trips, new teaching materials, school supplies and books to learn English this school year. We're so grateful for sponsors' commitment to ensure that the students have resources for their intellectual and social development, and that their most important growth years are successful!

The first semester has just ended, and the students are beginning the second one. The eight students of Grade 1 will continue to learn the letters of the alphabet and numbers up to 100 (in English, of course!). They will also practice their penmanship, reading, adding and subtracting. The 19 second grade students are "branching out" with their English lessons; telling time, days of the week, months of the year and seasons. Grade 3 has 12 students, and they're finishing the first level of their education while becoming very involved in school life -- with dance, music and special celebrations. The five girls and five boys in Grade 4 are developing interests in nature, and greatly enjoy field trips to the forest. Meanwhile, the 17 fifth grade students had the highest average grade in the first semester in the entire Cisie school! They're really looking forward to working with the next team of Global Volunteers! They are planning to prepare a play for their colleagues from Grades 1-3 soon.

The students of Grade 6 are preoccupied with preparations for the National Examination Board competence exam which will enable them to graduate and move on to secondary school. They understand how important English is for their futures, and truly value the times they have to learn from Global Volunteers' native speakers.

We have exciting upcoming plans for the classrooms as well: In March, we'll begin to set up a brand new English language lab with audio equipment, desks, chairs, white board, bookcases and bookshelves purchased with sponsors' funds.

All of this is made possible with assistance from Global Volunteers, and the students and teachers are very grateful. We look forward to many more volunteers to work with us in 2010 and beyond. Please learn more about our programs here:

http://www.globalvolunteers.org/poland/default.asp

Sincerely,

Dorota Wierzbicka
Poland Country Manager

Millennium Development Goals Achieved (September 27-October 16, 2009)

Twelve volunteers taught for five hours a day. 800 hours of the English language instruction were provided to 190 students. 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, the center for disabled adults "Caritas" and the after school shelter were impacted. The volunteers also conducted classes for 12 emloyees of the county government, 2 local teachers, as well as 6 other adult community members.

October 16, 2009

By Dennis

As Pat, Kathryn, Betty, Perry, Mary Ann, Ellen, Eddie and Dennis prepared for another routine day of teaching and tutoring they were treated to a breakfast featuring eggs and ham. It was not routine as everyone knew that it would end with final goodbyes. Goodbyes that we were not looking forward to. Yes, there were treats and smiles, but there were also many teary eyes. Our evening was capped off with a goodbye dinner with the deputy governor, volunteers, other community members and at least three adults who benefited from our efforts. Of course there was the packing for an early morning departure. Oh, and there was that final journal and thought for the day. Tomorrow we leave and go our separate ways with many great memories. Last but not least – have a good and safe journey.

Thought for the Day (from Dennis): Mother Teresa..."We may not do great things in this world, but we can do small things with great love.

October 14, 2009

By Pat

I awoke this morning to beautiful snow. There was at least a foot of the wet stuff.

Jola picked me up and we made our way to the church in Cisiee for Mass. We then went to the school for a program celebrating Teachers’ Day written and directed by two teachers. How do those kids memorize all those lines? Each teacher was presented with a rose and bar of chocolate. Iza made the drive back to Reymontowka Place with 5 children packed in the back seat. We let them off in their village. A surprise on the road, tree branches bowed down to cover the road. Iza carefully made her way through them.

I entered the manor house to discover another surprise, no electricity at Reymontowka. Candles were placed along the hall like a landing strip. A group of business people meeting here was literally in the dark.

The English students from Kotun walked from town to meet with Kathryn and me. After our lesson they walked back in the snow and cold.

Thought for the Day (from MaryAnn): A tree is known by its fruit, we by our deeds. A good deed is never lost: one who sows courtesy reaps friendship and one who plants kindness .gathers love. Saint Basil
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October 13, 2009

By Betty

Winter is definitely trying to come to our humble group. Eddie’s early morning report of cold and windy proved to be the weather of the day. Snow has been predicted this week.

Today Ellen reports she had a wonderful day working with two female students and enjoys the “more laid back atmosphere” as the other students are away on a one week trip. How much better can you get when you can report the day “went well”?

At dinner tonight Mary Ann and Dennis showed us some of the angels their students have been creating. All four of the Global Volunteers at this site were presented with special Christmas trees made by the students and have promised not to open special letters until Christmas Eve. Will they keep their promise?

Our dinner tonight included slices of fresh pineapple given to Betty by a student who was leaving for a special conference. The joke of her class was this student always wanting to use the Polish word for pineapple and Betty wanting her to use the English word. It is a special memory to have developed a fun joke with a student especially over something silly and in such a short time.

In the spirit of teamwork, Dennis showed Perry the secrets of using the washing machine in the laundry area. Perry remains proud of his “Polish-American” invention of a dryer. Yes, a dryer in Poland. Put your wet clothes on a rack and turn on a room fan. Perry shared this with Dennis who is a true believer in the new system.

Perhaps after reading this or hearing this, each of us will savor a special Global Volunteer memory of a student, a lesson, a conversation or even a joke we have had while in Poland. Why not make another memory today?

Thought for the day (from Pat): A tip; to stay young, laugh often, and laugh loud.

October 12, 2009

By Perry

For breakfast, the remaining eight team members slowly came downstairs rubbing their eyes recovering from a busy weekend. All except for Eddie, who walked in from a walk in the fresh morning air and smiling.

We were asked to attend a team meeting at 6 pm, before dinner, so we could review team goals.

Betty and I walked around the Reymontowka grounds to enjoy our surroundings. Several of the wood carvings were captured in photographs. Betty also made some new friends by offering three horses some tasty apple treats. More photographs were taken. Kathryn indicated the has an especially enjoyable day with one of her students, Agnes, who thoroughly enjoys American idioms.

At 6 pm we had a good meeting reviewing our team goals: student education, volunteer education, personal relationships, leaving good impressions and flexibility. We also got the see the interview done by the local Siedlce TV station host talking to Marek Blaszczyk, Dorota, Kathryn and Perry.

Dorota also shared that next year will be a celebration of 20 years of Global Volunteers participating here in Poland. There have been 2,500 volunteers here in Poland and a total of 25,000 volunteers internationally.

Thought for the Day (from Betty): Memories are steppingstones from the past that lead us to new experiences and new horizons. (Author Unknown)