Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Hey Everyone!

Hey Everyone,
Sorry it is so long since I wrote our internet has been awful and I have been very busy as well.
Well what has happened since I last posted? I am sure quite a lot but as I can’t actually get online to look at what I last posted I may repeat myself …. sorry.
Well over the last few weeks I have been giving English language methodology training for second cycle teachers, which has been going well but very difficult to coordinate given that each school seems to have a different time table.
I also visited a special needs unit here and I thought they were doing fantastic they had really tried to organize the classrooms well, however when I watched the DVD Untamed Love the other day which is about a Special Needs class it brought me back to earth!!
But really, the teachers were lovely with the students and had made lots of media, they have deaf students and blind students and then Learning disabled students, however very few actually come to school regularly and mostly boys come as parents see no point in sending the girls. The teachers said no body knows what to do with the learning disabled so although I know very little I will try over the next while to help the as much as I can. So far I have made jig saws and other toys to develop motor skills, but I think our special needs unit is miles ahead of any other from what I have heard so at least we are starting from a good base.
We have been basking in the glory of the national conference since it finished given that it was a roaring success however it also means the workload has increased this week alone (an it is only Tuesday) we have a team of researchers come to assess the schools and students to see if the international donors should expand their funding program for cluster work, we have been told by the Regional Education Bureau to give training for all supervisors in the region, and following that all high school teachers. So it is busy busy here at the moment.
I am looking forward to my parents coming to visit now; I wonder what they will make of everything here. It is very hard to remember what it was like at first, as now it just feels like home.
People have been really good fundraising for the schools here and really, people here appreciate it very much. This week we will be buying computers for the schools, we have already made blackboards and we are arranging to get brail text books for the blind students and have many other projects planned – a little money goes a long way here.
So thank you to everyone who has been fundraising, especially to the perfume sellers in Selskar Court.

Anyway, I will try and improve on the posting. I am going to ask Jerome to post this for me as it is impossible for me to access the site at the moment I don’t know why!

Take care and enjoy the warm weather as your weather is heating up ours is cooling down.

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Orla,

I know that you may not see this for a while if the technology is causing trouble there. It's great to hear from you.

Yes its hard to imagine what first impressions for your folks will be like as you are so immersed in the way of life there now. I suspect that it will all be a bit of a culture shock for them - and they will be only just getting used to it before they have to come home and adjust back to 'normal life'.

Things great here - enjoying retirement - the sun has been shining almost constantly since I retired... To think all you teachers have this EVERY summer!!!!All the best,
Love,
Gay

7:12 a.m. GMT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great to hear from you again Orla. You're keeping busy as we are with all this world cup work. Charlie croked and Donnycarney was famous for a day. They put up big screens for the funeral and Bertie called him our 'most agile' leader. Hmmm...he should have done a stretch or two, alright.. All well here. Head for Spain on July 3rd and Seán Fuller's Wedding in August. Did I mention the world cup?
Mind yourself
Uncle Jim

2:27 p.m. GMT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

See You soon!
Jerome

7:59 a.m. GMT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Orla, great to hear from you again. Rita and Ray are there now, they were so looking forward to seeing you. Rays suit case looked like something Del Boy would have going to the market. All well here except for the world cup, I will crack up if it does not finish soon. Have to keep our heads down with Gay on the loose now 24/7.

Dor

4:02 p.m. GMT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Orla are you ever got to post a message, Hope your parents our having a good time. Were all moved in and settled . Mary-Ella says hello from the very rainy North East!

Love

Eithne

1:36 p.m. GMT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

... and you never know where I'll show up Dorothy! Looking forward to hearing all the news from Ray & Rita - I think that I might wait till the smell of sheep/goats etc. has worn off a little! (and no I don't mean off me!)

4:26 p.m. GMT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Orla, hear you're staying a little bit longer! Sounds like you received plenty of visitors from home, hope they brought the usual goodies you miss when away - tayto, caburys etc...
You are definitly having amazing experiences! Stay well and healthy and i'll pop in to say HI again soon!
Slan Anois
Connie

12:02 p.m. GMT  

Post a Comment

<< Home