Blips from a Busy Time

With the play coming up next week, I've been spending a lot of time at school right now. I'll be somewhat glad when that's over, so that school will not be quite as consuming as it is right now. I like to have an adequate amount of time at home as well.

--Demonstrations today in chemistry class. We're studying types of reactions, so we did several "wow" demos as examples. Demos are a pain to set up and clean up, but it's always inspiring to see the wow factor kick in.

--We celebrated "mole day" last week on 10/23 (from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m.). (Chemistry people will catch the significance of that.) We had lunch with foods like guacamole, cassermoles, Chick-Mol-A nuggets, Coca-Mola, peppermole-i buns, cinnamon moles, oatmole cookies. You get the idea. They loved it. By the way, did you know that Avogadro eats watermolens in the summer? And drinks chocolate moleteds? He really exaggerates a lot--he makes mountains out of molehills. When he taught math, he taught moletiplication. Enough already (though there are a lot more where those come from).

--I helped one of my students, a young man for whom English is his second language, edit his essays for college applications. Today he brought me a $10 gift card to Cracker Barrel. Now, I certainly do not expect students to do something like that for help with college applications or writing recommendations--it is part of what I do for them, and I'm happy to do it. But you'd be amazed at the number of students who ask for such things who don't even say thank you--or bring a stamp! So it was a humbling and appreciated kindness in the middle of a busy time, for him to do such a thoughtful thing.

--The seniors' blog has bogged down a little, but they're kicking in again. I think they are enjoying knowing their work is being read far and wide. We start MACBETH on Thursday--that's always a great read.

Overload

Play practice until November 9.
Volleyball games, and now state tournament starting tomorrow.
Mike working a huge stretch.
Revival at church.
Nine weeks' exam time.
Now you know why I've not posted much.

p.s. For Barry Cater: Codger- Eccentric but lovable older person, usually a man. Maybe I should say. . .we're going to turn into an old codger and his wife.

A couple of old codgers

Yesterday I made a pot of "beefy bean soup" and at the last minute told Mike to set up the card table on the screened in porch--so we ate out there. The weather was perfect and we sat at the table for about half an hour afterward, just enjoying the view and the new porch. (Mary Lee couldn't take too much of us old folks so she went inside fairly quickly.) Today for Sunday lunch it was just Mike and me, so we ate out there again--this time meatloaf, baked potatoes, and cauliflower--and we sat out there for awhile again, also just doing nothing. We will turn into a couple of old codgers if we're not careful.

An e-mail from Selia

Dear Mrs Bailes:
This is Selia.I miss you so much since I left you ,you are my favorite teacher in US ,you were always friendly and kind to me ,and I am very happy that you can enjoy the gift.
Yes, when I got home ,I was really tired ,and I felt sick , but after few days ,I felt much better, so ,thanks for worrying about me!
I like your English and chemistry class very much ,maybe I couldn't understand all of your class ,but I coulf feel your humour and good teaching !
I saw really sad when I left Anderson ,the beautiful small city ,but then ,I got happier,because I thought maybe leaving now is foe the next meeting in the future , I think I'll come back one day!
Would you mind telling my classmates that I also miss them?
Thank you!
Selia

Framework & Ceiling are done

The screening goes up tomorrow--then there's electrical and finishing. Almost done!!

Several have heard from the Chinese friends. They are in reverse culture shock. Several have gotten some good news from them too.

Goodbye to our Chinese friends

There were many tears at Oakwood Christian School last Tuesday morning. Our Chinese friends visited Washington DC and New York City for about a day in each place. They should be back in China--after the flight they had a 22-hour train ride and then an hour bus ride.

Three of them left their rockets here. We are mailing them to China. Apparently those who remembered theirs kept them in their hands as they tried to get through security at the airport--and slowed the line down considerably.

These are my friends Selia and Susan, who were in several of my classes. Both of them brought me a present on the last day.

These are Dave and Reece. We had a difficult time getting Dave's rocket to work because he accidently glued the nose cone on when he spray painted it. So I had to cut off part of his rocket, leaving it a little shorter than the others. He didn't seem to mind!

Those who kept the Chinese students in their homes really had a hard time seeing them go--much harder than even those of us who spent time with them in our classes.

China students in my classroom - Shooting rockets!

Well, I have shot a lot of rockets with eighth graders over the past twenty-seven years, but I've never been hugged ecstatically by someone before yesterday, just for getting her rocket off successfully! She was very concerned because the first two times the rocket did not fly--she was actually close to tears. When it left the launch pad, she threw her arms around Nick Kaufman and then around me, saying "Thank you, thank you!!" repeatedly.

All the students--Chinese, American, and the younger ones who just watched--really enjoyed the rocket shoot. Most of the school came out to watch. It was a great experience, but I am GLAD it's over. There is a lot of pressure to get off a successful rocket launch for 46 students (and one teacher) with 300 people watching, and make sure there are no accidents. I was absolutely exhausted last night.

Shingles and Beams

The shingles are completed and the temporary wooden supports have been replaced with the aluminum framework. This week the ceiling people are supposed to come.

China students in my classroom pics

Can you tell how much they are enjoying building rockets!
Once they all got settled in, it was enjoyable for me too.
Chinese students are in my chemistry class also. Today the headmaster came in to observe a lab. He used to teach chemistry.

Chinese students in my classroom

Friday morning at 7:45 a.m., 24 Chinese students appeared at my door, along with four of their six adult supervisors, ready to build rockets. My own 22 students filtered in also. I had organized the whole thing, but something like that is difficult to foresee all the needs. They were spread between two classrooms, desks covered with newspaper, and we had to get a labeled kit in each student's hands as well as the supplies needed to build the rockets. I had to make sure that there were enough American students spread among them to help them understand the instructions.

Once they got settled in it worked well, and amazingly, the Chinese students (who read English better than they speak it) actually caught up to where my students were in how much they got done. Mine had started the day before. They are very studious and they get down to work.

Monday morning they will be back to continue building. Then, second period, the headmaster of their school has told me he wants to visit my chemistry class and he wants to watch experiments. He speaks no English so he let me know this through an interpreter. I will have other students and adults in my classes throughout the week until the following Tuesday (October 9).

We will finish the rockets by Wednesday, painting, decals, and all. I have adult help to take them outside to spray paint, and plenty of plastic aprons. I'm thinking about going to a thrift store and picking up a dozen or so long-sleeved shirts for "painting shirts." They have a field trip on Thursday with our high schoolers, then next Friday is the really big day--we will shoot the rockets!

These young people are here on an exchange program that we have developed with a middle school of 3000 students in central China. A graduate of our school is a teacher of English at that school. We sent a group of students there last spring, and this exchange is what has developed. Both the Chinese and American governments granted permission for the trip.

When they were picked up at the airport last Wednesday night, they ran down the escalator, they were so excited. They cannot believe the luxurious accommodations we have provided for the first few nights--They are in a Holiday Inn Express. At the hotel they took pictures of the light fixtures, and the next morning at our school they asked how to use the water fountains. They are ecstatic to be here. Most have never been out of their home province and have never traveled on a plane. Last night at our fall festival they pitched right in at the end and helped to carry tables and chairs.

Tomorrow morning they will be in our church service (another first for them) and then they will go home with their host families for the next ten days.