1st semester down, 3 to go

It is hard to believe that my first semester down here is over. My students just walked out the door for a month!! Time really flew this semester and I can only imagine how fast the rest of the year will go. So far this job has been really great. I am super thankful to have moved down here. Aside from being so far away from my friends and family back home, this place is pretty darn cool!

I have a few days left here at school (without kids) to get ready for the new semester so my vacation officially begins on Friday afternoon.

It will be a busy weekend down here in my landlocked country. My 5th visitor, Jeremy, arrives on Saturday night. Then Sunday Bolivia holds Presidential elections. This is a pretty big deal and there is a lot of tension and divide about who people think should run the country. Votes will be in on Sunday night, however, for automatic presidancy a candidate must get 50% of the vote. That is not expected to happen so congress will end up deciding who to put into power (and it doesn't have to be the one with the most votes). I guess what typically happens is some of the top candidates form alliances and add their votes together. It all sounds a bit shady. Roads will be closed on Sunday so the streets will be empty. This is the 4th presidential election in 3 years. This country really needs some longterm leadership so be praying that this Sunday's election can be the last one for at least a few years.

I hope all is well back at home! I miss you all!

End of Semester

It seems like just yesterday that I was boarding the plane on my way to Bolivia. I now find myself at the end of my first semester of teaching at SCCS. My how time flies. Technically I am a quarter of the way through my 2 year contract. That makes me feel like I don't have a lot longer down here yet my travel itinerary is huge, so I'd better be making the most of my time off! Who knows, maybe I'll need to stay more than 2 years to really see everything!

Ending this first semester makes me think a lot about my last job. There are several things that I don't miss a bit. For example:
-I haven't had to break up a single fight down here. Not because someone else did, but because there haven't been any!
-No one pulls the fire alarm for a prank. Now that could be because down here in Bolivia there aren't any fire alarms to pull. But somehow I think that these kids wouldn't pull them even if it was an option.
-Kids don't cuss at me.
-I can actually send a student to the principal and I know the kid will get busted.
-No parents call me a liar
-For the most part, all the teachers want to be teaching and actually work together to make that happen.

To help illustrate what I miss about teaching in San Francisco, I have attached some pictures. Here are some things I miss:
-Ashley McMillian getting busted for talking up a storm, then coming in the next morning with a big smile saying "What's up Ms. Rosendale", all anger from the day before forgotten.
-Having lunch with Stacy Heniser everyday and talking about life
-Damon Wilson, who in the midst off all the chaos that surrounded him, got his agenda out and wrote down the homework every day, all year long!
-Seeing my students at Safeway, or walking down Fillmore. I see some of my kids here but it isn't nearly as fun.
-The sass that Takia brought to my room. I hated it at the time, but it makes me laugh thinking about her dancing her way into my classroom.
-Being quick whitted at work, never knowing what my students would say.
-Working with kids who really I feel like I can actually make a difference with. My students here have so much accessible to them because of their wealth. I'm just one more person there to serve them.
-Kevin Vu, being bad, wanting to fight, but SO OPEN to doing the right thing. That boy had no problem admitting his wrong and apologizing.

Pictures:
1. Students posing. My students here aren't nearly as into posing for pictures
2. The united colors of Ben Franklin:Luis, Michael, Nestor and Ammar representing Guatemala, Eritria, Peru and Yemen. That is some diversity I just don't have at my school here.
3 Jerroco and the girls. I had that picture up in my classroom last year and it just makes me smile.
4. Stacy, Sabrina and I at Dawn and Richard's wedding. I sure do miss working with those people.
5. The annual Walk-a-thon. Kids here wear uniforms so I don't get to see sagging pants, funky headbands and jerseys from every basketball team.

So I guess as much as I love it down here, there are plenty of things I miss about the chaotic, unstable, crazy school I worked at in San Francisco. I hope everyone in the teaching world has had a good semester and is looking forward to a nice break. I'll be in touch.