Reviewing our goals

Message of the Day: Everyone loves praise. Look hard for ways to give it to them.

Rene presented Dorota with a flag that he was given on Saturday in Warsaw. 70,000 people convened to protest their government is not listening to them regarding flexible work hours and retirement age.

Our Global Volunteers are very interested in politics like the Poles. We are also very concerned about the floods and mud slides in Colorado.

I asked for permission at Spoleczna to show my movie. Student Eric was asked to be in charge. He got the key to the library and asked for help from his fellow students. My anxiety level escalated when I saw the size of the T.V. and the table that needed to fit into the classroom door. Carolina said she could help. I said, “No, let the guys do it.” A big custodian even got into the mix. Finally, we were able to watch the movie. The 7th graders clapped with politeness. We unhooked the cable lines. Carolina jumped up and joined Jan carrying the T.V. back to the library. It seemed surprising to me one girl and one boy could do what took five people in the first place. No one was in the library. We could’ve shown the movie in the library!

Dorota asked us if we think we are making our goals happen. Our team thinks we do reach out to be ambassadors for Global Volunteers and America. We also feel we concentrate on immersing ourselves into the Polish culture. Yes, we do support Global Volunteers. We will continue to tell about their programs. We are doing our best to enhance the Polish children’s abilities to speak English.”

Journal by Kenita 

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

Classes in Grala, afternoon tutoring and concert and art exhibit in the evening

Message of the day (shared by George):

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace


“Imagine,” by John Lennon

The day began with the usual breakfast where the special item of the meal was apple-filled pancakes. Some of us covered the pancakes with delicious, home-made plum jam made by one of the teachers at Grala school. This was a gift to Kay and George from their assigned teacher. Then the volunteers were off to their assigned schools when their “drivers” arrived at the Manor House. For George and Kay there were 4 classes at Grala School: 4th, 1st, 2nd, and 6th grades. The subjects for the 4th and 6th grades were world and North American geography including the states of the USA. For the 1st grade, the students were taught the primary colors and a song about the colors, “Color My World.” For the 2nd grade, the topic was Christopher Columbus—color Columbus, cut out the parts, tie them together, and make a puppet with the colored parts.

Kay and George arrived back at the Manor House at 1:15 pm and joined the others for lunch of soup, a bountiful dish of fruit, etc. After lunch, some volunteers traveled to the Kotun community center for lessons with children and adults of that town. Kay and George prepared for classes for Friday and, at 4:00pm, tutored 2 adult students in the work room; we discussed the problems with death in bee colonies (colony collapse disorder) in the USA and in European countries, as well as topics dealing with states’ rights in the USA, and politics in Poland and the USA.

After 6:00 pm, there was an art exhibit and concert at the Manor House. A fantastic accordionist was the musician. Our dinner in the fireplace room was at 7:00 pm and a happy time was had by all!

Submitted by Kay

Warm welcome & successful teaching sessions

Message of the Day: You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.

On this day of 9/11, the day for Global Volunteers began with a delicious breakfast which included crepes that contained vegetables such as corn, peppers, and bean sprouts. It also had bacon with it.

I began the business end of the morning with a message on another method of discovering more about a person, than the conventional way of a long conversation.

Brenda gave the report of September 10, which was the beginning day of teaching and tutoring. By far, that was a successful day for all, after much preparation and planning.

Dorota then had an informing conversation about the two-year old Catholic school where Brenda and I are teaching this week. The school is tuition free, although the students must buy their own textbooks. The welcoming sign for Global Volunteers on the front door there continues to impress us. Throughout the halls, there are student created bulletin boards that enhance our American culture. It’s obvious at this site that there has been lots of anticipation and preparation for their participation with the volunteers.

For our evening dinner, the main course was pierogi filled with sauerkraut. This was tasty and delicious for all.

There was an announcement of a coming art exhibit in the tent on Thursday at 6:00 pm. There will also be some music. Dinner will be served at 7:00 pm.

Journal by Marilyn

The day of many firsts

Message of the day: (shared by Kay)

"All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten"

Most of what I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile of Sunday school. These are the things I learned. Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life—learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. Be aware of wonder. (by Robert Fulghum)
 
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Today was a day of several firsts: Global Volunteers was invited to conduct English classes for children and adults at the Community Center in Kotun. We also began serving as teachers at “The Catholic School”, an elementary-middle school that opened last year in Siedlce. Cassandra is a first time Global Volunteer; and Brenda, Marilyn and Cassandra are in Poland for the first time. Excitement prevails!

We headed to our different sites after a delicious breakfast featuring scrambled eggs. The teachers of English at the various schools greeted us warmly and made us feel welcome. At The Catholic School in Siedlce, students had posted a welcome sign for us on the front door.

That was the beginning of a great day at this new site.
Observations of some Global Volunteers after today’s assignments:

“It was one of the best classes I have ever taught in my life,” (Ed).

“What impressed me the most was how much English the students, of all ages, already know,” (Cassandra).

“The reception and turnout at the (new) Community Center Project affirms the participants’ hunger to learn English,” (Rene).

Based on my own assignment, I noted how impressed I was by the 4th and 9th grade students’ interest in and motivation to use English in class, as well as the school staff’s interest in and involvement with Global Volunteers. The school principal discussed this with Marilyn and me at a private reception in his office at noon. He is pleased with his new school’s partnership with Global Volunteers.
All of us in the Poland Group look forward to tomorrow!

Journal by Brenda

Lesson preparation and visit with the governor

Message of the Day (Shared by Brenda):  A smile encourages acceptance; conversation fosters understanding.

A sunny morning greeted us. We had a delicious breakfast featuring fluffy pancakes with jelly and sweet cream topping, as well as the usual fillers of meat, cheese, bread etc. The meeting was held in the resource room. There was a discussion of US vs Polish classroom characteristics. First day activities were bounced around. A tour of the resource room revealed all the supplies available for our use. Time was allowed for lesson preparation.

After lunch we visited Siedlce and the County governor Zygmunt Wielogorski. He welcomed Global Volunteers and gave us an overview of Poland's progress.

 

We returned to Reymontowka to continue our preparation and enjoy a relaxing dinner.

The 238th Team of Global Volunteers to Poland begins!

  
Message of the Day (shared by Pat): How wonderful it is that nobody need to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.

After a sumptuous breakfast of cold cuts and American cheese, fresh bread, veggies, cereal, and an assortment of juices, and coffee and tea, the 238th Team of Global Volunteers convened in the library for its Orientation Meeting.  The ten (10) volunteers listened intently as Our Fearless Leader, Dorota, released a few facts: there have been nearly 3,000 volunteers in the Poland country program; the doors opened for Poland in 1989 when communism was replaced by a democracy lead by the efforts of Lech Walesa; the first team of volunteers in Poland occurred in 1990,

   The Team of Ten listed a number of Team Goals that will be reviewed and discussed during the next three (3) weeks and narrowed them down to the following Top Five:

    1.  To facilitate teaching and learning of English.
    2.  To be an International Ambassador.
    3.  To encourage Team building.
    4.  To support Global Volunteers goals.
    5.  To learn about the Polish language, culture, and history.

    With Dorota's guidance, the Team of Ten listed a multitude of Characteristics of an Effective Team, to be flexible, punctual, patient, organized, tolerant, and a whole bunch of other great characteristics. 

    Then Dorota talked about the different grades and classes there are in Poland. 
    Dorota then distributed teaching assignments to the Team of Ten.  The usual schools will be included like Cisie, Spoleczna, Grala, a number of schools in Siedlce, etc.  Dorota emphasized the importance of the  Global Volunteers' effort being dedicated to Kotun.  The small town of Kotun has expressed an interest in being included in the Global Volunteers' effort…and the Team of Ten has responded.
   Church was next on the Agenda.  A few went and a few stayed behind. 
What a delicious lunch:  A delicious chicken soup with homemade pasta, pot roast, dumplings, and two cold salads. 

    After lunch and an hour and a half of free time, we thoroughly enjoyed the Lesson of Polish with Iwona, a former student of veteran Poland volunteer Pat. We learned some basic, yet important, words used every day in Poland. It was truly interesting listening to the volunteers repeating everything that Iwona said.  We tried our best…and remember, we've just started…all we can do is get better…and we will!

   After Iwona's teaching debut, the volunteers met with representatives of all of the schools and the Community Center of Kotun.  Suggestions were welcomed by the volunteers on what and how to prepare the lesson plans for the next three (3) weeks, what the students were taught in the recent past, suggestions on how to proceed, etc.

    We had a wonderful bigos dinner last night.  Bigos is called Hunter's Stew in English and consists of meat and sauerkraut in a tangy sauce. 
   Some of us watched a fantastic cultural program tonight.  Young Poles dressed in traditional folk costume…dancing, singing and having a blast!  What a great show to watch! 
   Man, to be young again…those kids were great!
   What a great bunch of fellow volunteers!  I don't know all of you yet, but I will.  What an exciting time we have ahead of ourselves.  We'll have a fun time doing it!

Journal by Edmund.