Community Service = Super Proud of my 9th Graders

Okay, another non-content focused, fun filled day at Colegio Menor to report....

The National Junior Honor Society organized a day of community service for each of the grades in upper school right before our Christmas break.  My 9th graders spent one gorgeous morning hanging out with a group of blind or deaf students.  I'll admit that I was a bit nervous going into the day...I have a few 'too cool for school' boys (as I'm sure every 9th grade teacher has) and was a bit worried about how they would handle the day.  To say that I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.  My kiddos were AWESOME with their kiddos.  They ran ALL around the field (mostly chasing their young friends that had waaaaaaay more energy than the average teenager), made Fruit Loop (or the Ecuador brand equivalent) necklaces, and supervised Christmas card making.  It wasn't just that my kids stuck by their assigned buddy for the day, but that they really seemed to enjoy the time they spent with the kids.  Here are some photos from the day (hope they capture the fun and awesomeness that is was!)

A pair of 9th graders were assigned a guest student.  I was surprised at how young some of the kiddos were.

While we had some activities planned, it became clear that some of our guest students just wanted to play soccer all day.
(Kids in this country loooooooooove their soccer!)

lots of hand holding!

This little girl was adorable!  And enjoyed rolling the ball with my 9th grade kiddos!!

Two of those 'too cool for school' boys hanging out with their student.

Playing on some equipment with the kiddos.

More fun on the playground.

Marcelo is one of my 9th graders that spent the entire day with his kiddo.  This is probably one of the only moments in the day that they were not sprinting around the soccer field.  Marcelo was such a trooper!

Some Christmas card making (complete with dry pasta decor)

Santiago is one of the other 9th grade teachers that I work with!

Pedro giving a little girl her bag of candy!

It was a really great day for everyone and I had one of my first 'wow, I'm SO proud of my kids' moments which was a cool first year teacher experience.

Our First (and likely Only) Bullfight!

In addition to school celebrations for Fiestas de Quito, Javier and I wanted to join in on the fun around town as well which included a trip to the bullfighting arena.  Now, Quito voted a couple of years ago to outlaw the killing of bulls in the ring, which severely lessened the number of bullfights that occur in the city.  (You can still see bullfighting where the bull is actually killed in many other cities in Ecuador).  But for Fiestas de Quito the city hosted a few days of bullfights that Javier and I decided to go to (still with no killing in the arena).  It was certainly an interesting experience...

We were first amazed at how small the arena was....we were sitting in the very last row, but still felt quite close to the action!

We were there plenty early to soak up the scene and walked down to the first row - you would definitely feel like part of the action down here!

We watched three bullfighters battle two bulls each.  Two of our matadors were from Spain and one was from Ecuador!  He was clearly a fan favorite and at 17, acted invincible in the ring.  Our experience was unique in that each matador would face the bull on horseback, rather than on the ground.

Each rider did have the equivalent of a rodeo clown that was on the ground to control the bulls between rides.  (Also their capes were hot pink....not red as I had learned in cartoons).

Here is an action shot of the rider about to spear the bull.  (You can already see one of his spears in the bull!)

Understandably so, the bull would often 'attack' or chase the rider after being speared.

Here is a picture to try to give you a feel for the arena - everyone is cheering and ole-ing during the fight.

Everyone gasped when the bull got too close to the horse.  I was surprised at how involved I felt in the show - it was certainly intense.

After each fight, the matador was awarded with a certain number of roses that signified the judges' satisfaction in their fight.  Then they would take a lap around the arena collecting roses and catching hats that audience members threw at them.  Javier and I both agreed that there was a certain amount of showmanship that went along with each fight.

While we were both glad to have the experience and did enjoy the show quite a bit, I do not think we'll be returning to the arena anytime soon.  I still had a pretty big issue with hurting an innocent animal for the sole purpose of human enjoyment.  By the 5th bull or so, I was ready to check the experience off my list and head out.  I will say that we both agreed that having the matadors on horseback really added to the entertainment value.  Before the bulls came out each matador showed off their riding skills and control of their horse.  The horses were all beautifully decorated with elaborate manes.  I was very glad that they were incorporated into the show and think it improved the experience for me.  Either way, glad we went and certainly happy to witness the enthusiasm of the Quito community. It felt like a very appropriate way to celebrate Fiestas de Quito.

Fiestas de Quito

Ecuador seems to be unique in that they celebrate not only an independence day, but the independence day of each of their largest cities: Guayaquil, Cuenca and Quito.  Quito's big day was celebrated over the first weekend in December.  Javier and I were excited for this celebration because we had heard that the festivities start for Fiestas de Quito and continued through the Christmas holiday.  We joined in the celebration, both at school and in town.  Here are some fun pics from the traditions our students participated in at Colegio Menor.

First up are the Balcones (or skits performed using our second story walkway as a 'balcony' of sorts).  The 10th, 11th and 12th graders decorate their balconies and then perform a short scene or play from them for the school.  I believe this was the 11th graders balcony and skit.

Next up, the 12th graders scene complete with air drying brassiere and musical performance.  They did a nice job but...

it was the 10th graders with their big band and extreme decorations that won the Balcones this year!

In addition to the performances on the balcony, we spent half the day in our gym watching the drama students perform traditional legends or stories from Quito for the rest of the school.  Our band also joined in on the fun playing some traditional and not so traditional music to entertain us.

Here is our band!

Here are two of my 9th graders performing.  This one was something about a ghost that was found in a museum.  (Most of the legends seemed to be more ghost story than anything else...)

Again two of my 9th grade kiddos performing on stage.  This one involved a bull falling in love with a woman (weird....I know) but then when they can't be together he (the bull) instead kills her (I guess if he couldn't have her no one could?)

Here is one of my more theatrical (even during class) 9th graders getting read to face the bull that is in love with the woman.

After school, Colegio Menor hosted a party for all teachers that would include traditional Ecuadorian cuisine, Flamenco dancers and a less than traditional ride to the party.  We teachers had assumed they had rented a Chiva for us...but boy were we wrong.... (a Chiva is just a party bus where all the seats have been cleared from the back to allow for dancing and general merriment.  They are very common in Quito and usually include Canelazo, Ecuador's traditional drink.  We have not been on a Chiva yet, but I promise to post and go into detail when we do get that fun experience.)  Instead school sent a Gusanito (little worm) to pick us up from school and take us to the party!

Here is Madison riding on our little worm to the party.  It was decked out in Quito red and blue!

More teachers catching a ride: Vanessa, Kirstie, Ashley and Kim.

And the Cabezas not missing this once in a lifetime opportunity to ride in a worm down the main streets of Cumbaya.

At the party everyone was chowing down! (Esperanza, Mike Parker, Christina, Bri, Rachel and Madison)

The food was delicious and included: hornato (pulled pork) queso empanadas, roasted plantains, avocado and a red onion salad.

Our hostess added a few blue balloons to her red ornaments on this tree to turn it to a Fiestas de Quito tree!

I probably should have gotten a bit closer to take this, but the dancers were awesome!

And once the professionals were finished the teachers took over.  It is amazing to me how much Ecuadorians love to dance.  It seems that they all know how and jump at the opportunity whenever it comes up!

It was super fun to start the holiday season with some early festivities!

Thanksgiving and a Quick Trip Home

Nana did attend our wedding and we were lucky enough to get this photo of her with Kels and me. 

Part of the explanation for my hiatus from the blog occurred just before Thanksgiving.  My Nana had been declining over the past few months and passed away on Sunday November 23rd.  Saying goodbye to her before Javier and I moved was one of the hardest goodbyes I made because I was all but certain it would be the last time I saw her.  We were in close contact with my Mom and Dad in her last week, but it was still very difficult being away from home.  (I had a very different experience when my Grandmother passed away two years ago.)  Sometime in that last week, I started talking to Javier about the possibility of going home for the funeral we knew was imminent.  While I shouldn't be surprised by now (he is always the most supportive and thoughtful man) he assured me that he had always planned on me returning home to be with family during this difficult time.

Here is Nana looking beautiful and sassy as she was.

After Nana died, I quickly bought a ticket home (using miles) and anxiously created sub plans for the 4 days I would be gone (our school does not have Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving...for obvious reasons).  It was so wonderful to be with family over the next few days.  Kelsey and I had the opportunity to speak at the funeral, talking about Nana's love for Christmas (that included carols in her car in July), special sweet tea and evenings spent on her porch rocking and watching the cars go by.  She was such a special lady.

I also need to take a minute to acknowledge another sad loss for our family.  Kelsey and Scott's dog, Lily Mae (sometimes known as Pants), also passed away on Sunday November 23rd.  If you ever met her (and I bet most of you did....she was pretty portable), you know she was a truly special pup.  She fit in perfectly with our family through her love of food, sleep and good company.  She too will be incredibly missed.

Rushing home for the services allowed me to stay an extra day to spend Thanksgiving with the family.  It was so nice to get to see so much of my family in the hurried three days.  While I didn't get any pictures of people...in typical fashion I was able to capture a few shots of the delicious food that we ate.

While it was so nice being home, I did feel guilty that Javier was spending his first Thanksgiving in Ecuador all alone!  School did provide a Thanksgiving potluck and half day on Thursday to help their expats celebrate a little bit!

All of this food was so yum-o, but my body is clearly getting used to Ecua cuisine because I had tummy troubles the entire time I was in the US.   (Fine in Ecuador, but bring me back to the US and my weak stomach can't handle it...)

In addition to chowing down, I also got to meet this lovely lady, Miss Elsie Mae,  during my hurried trip home.  She is even more sweet and adorable in person than in this picture if you can believe it!

When I returned, Javier and I hosted a little friends Thanksgiving! I put up a few decorations and Javier and I braved the turkey!

Here is our 'Give Thanks' banner with the gorgeous view of Pichincha in the background (it never get old)!

Our organic market had pumpkins!  That I used 1st as decoration and then later for soup!  (The leaves were provided by my loving sister who knew I missed them and had a bag ready for me when I arrived in the US!)

Once again, I neglected to get any pictures of humans, but managed instead to document the food that we ate.  Javier did a beautiful job carving the turkey! and all the sides our friends brought made for a delicious Thanksgiving meal!

Going home for a few days was incredibly hectic, but 100% worth it.  It was so comforting and important to spend time with my family.  Nana was such an important part of my life and I know I'll miss her so much.

Juegos Internos and Goofy Games at Colegio Menor

Merry Christmas and a heartfelt apology for the long hiatus to my dedicated readers.  The end of November got busy (I'll explain in a post in a bit) and I never seemed to catch up....but I'm back now and hope to quickly fill you in on all the shenanigans that have been happening in Quito because KELSEY AND SCOTT ARRIVE TODAY!!! And I know that means I'll have more shenanigans to fill you in on soon (Galapagos shenanigans!).

Here is a quick post to catch you up on some Colegio Menor events.  I know what you're thinking...does this school ever have just a school day (not a 'here's a bouncy slide and bunch of games and crazy dressed up nonsense' day....), but keep in mind we have 200 days of school to fit in.  (That's right...200 school days.  Which is a whole 20 more than is required for public schools in the US...so we're fitting in some fun to maintain some sanity...)

I've included some pictures below from our Goofy Games day and Juegos Internos.  Goofy Games finished off our spirit week and consisted of....well...goofy games.   My 9th graders were competing against the 8th and 7th graders which made for a little pressure... 

Goofy Game #1 had two students from each grade eating as much watermelon as they could in 3 minutes.  It was messy.

Goofy Game #2 had 3 students from each grade listening to music that was played so that they could provide the next line of the song once the music stopped.  To add to the 'goofy' the student had to run to that crate of balloons, select one and pop it by sitting on it, before producing the next lyric to the song.  Quite entertaining.

Goofy Game #3 included an obstacle course (not that goofy right?).  But each student traveled through the course with another student riding their back (piggyback style) which made some of the obstacles more challenging.  (And from a teacher's perspective, more dangerous....I did not love this game)

But if I thought the piggyback obstacle course was bad....I was in for a shock with Goofy Game #4 - The Human Pyramid.  When my kids told me this was the last game, I was expecting a standard three man pyramid, but no.  Apparently points were awarded for 1) the number of people included in your pyramid and 2) its height.  I didn't get a picture of it, but that girl on the right does climb this human pyramid (to the top) and then proceeded to stand up on top of this human pyramid making the 9th grade's the tallest by far.  (I'll be adding this to my list of 'things that would never happen in a US school'...)

Some teachers got involved in Goofy Game #5 by beating egg whites for 3 minutes each (hoping to turn them into stiff peaks before time was up).  (Random, I know....and sort of.....goofy.)

While we didn't win every game, my 9th graders were victorious in the end.  (Which resulted in a trophy and this exuberant celebration on stage.)  I was so proud (and they refused to focus the rest of the day...)

Juegos Internos is an annual day of friendly competition between the upper school grades in basketball, volleyball and futbol.  It occurs on Saturday (this was our second Saturday of work so far....) but counts towards those lovely 200 days required.  Each grade designs and wears their own t-shirt for the day to help unify and build team spirit.  My students selected olive green for their shirt this year and then were disappointed when their camouflage design was not approved (because we are not a military school and administration did not feel comfortable with a class displaying that type of uniform).  But my kids, in their own sort of rebellion, wore camo head and arm bands for the day.

Here they are in the parade of teams that starts the day.

It was a really cool day and the kids (and teachers) got very into it.  (You can see Susanita on the right sporting her camo headband as a sign of unity for the 9th grade!)

My kids listening to opening remarks.

Colegio Menor's mascot is the spectacled bear (native to Ecuador) and the students had a competition to draw the school a new mascot.  The winner was revealed at Juegos Internos!

And here is our attempt at a group picture....a bit of a fail, but keep in mind I have almost 90 students...it was never gonna happen.

I was in charge (someone used the word coach, but I will not because it doesn't seem accurate) of the basketball teams for the day.  My boys did well, beating the 7th graders by a mile, but losing a heartbreaker to the 8th graders in the end.  My girls kicked butt, massacring both 7th and 8th grade teams.  Overall, the 9th graders performed well, winning all of our volleyball matches and all but one soccer game.  I think they were most proud of their defiance of authority through their wardrobe selection.  Either way, I enjoyed the day supporting and rooting for my kiddos!