So this is the testing term at school. Going through public
schools and having to take proficiency tests, I thought I knew what pressure
was when associated with a test. When I was working in Cincinnati at Boys Hope
Girls Hope and the 8th graders had to take a test to determine what
high school they went to, I realized my tests weren’t that bad. But even those
tests were to get into a good private school. In St. Lucia, the grade 6
students take a test that determines what secondary school they go to for the
next 5 years. That’s some pressure! Not all these schools are equivalent, so
really you’re taking a test that determines your future. However, at least now
all the students get to go to secondary school. There was a time, not that long
ago, where if you didn’t do well on the test, you didn’t get to go at all.
It being the testing term means that I’m not doing computer
club after school, because I had students that were skipping lessons to come.
(Grade 4 also has a huge test which they are taking today, so it’s not just one
grade.) This, however, give me more time to plan for activities this summer and
the last two weeks of school. The last two weeks, again this year, are throw
away weeks because the ministry has planned teacher trainings during those
weeks, so we’ll have about 3 teachers for the 155 students. Not a really good
ratio, so I’m seeing what kinds of large group activities that we can do that
don’t cost anything! Field days, scavenger hunts and things like that look like
they’ll be on the agenda. I’m working on a video because our project plan for
the Eastern Caribbean is up for review. I’m going to show what the volunteers
have been working on this past year!
It’s kind of weird. When I got here I was counting up how
long I’d been here. Once I hit the year mark as a volunteer it went more
towards counting down. I can’t believe I only have about 10 months left. It’s
going so fast.
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