Student-led Conference

In case you didn't know already, I'm a fan of the Harare International School. In particular, I love the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program. Students focus for weeks on in-depth studies called units, and they are able to make their reading, writing and math studies relevant to the unit of study. 

For example, Miles recently did a unit on weather. He and a fellow 6-year-old classmate were lab partners collecting weather data every day: wind direction and strength, types of clouds, amount of rainfall, and weather. They recorded data in computers, through illustrations, writing narratives, etc. They bar graphed their results to analyze the variation over 4 weeks. They did a performance, singing songs with lyrics like "The Hydrologic Cycle." Miles was the West Wind. Other kids were sunbeams, scientists, air currents, hydrogen and oxygen....or aliens from another plant who needed to be told how all this Earth weather works. They're taking a field trip to a Weather Station tomorrow.

Not everything they do is related to their unit. Miles still wrote stories from his own imagination, practiced phonics for reading, and did math sheets. But the majority of their work is tied in with the subject of the unit. Kids feel like they really know something about the world by the end of it. (Seeing this in practice is all the sweeter since my mom was pushing for this type of approach 20 or so years ago, that hers was a lonely struggle that she was passionate about, and that in the end, she was right! Curriculum revolution. You did your part, Mom.)

One day per year is the Student-led Conference where kids age 3-10 take their parents around to show them what and how they've been learning. Portfolios are put out with examples of the work they've done all year, and students explain how they have improved. It's such a great idea. The kids and parents enjoy it. Teachers don't participate (on the day) at all.

Miles shows us his portfolio

Eliza shows us her portfolio

More photos from the day.

Race Day

Finishing up the last quarter of the 300m.

I arrived just in time to see Miles at the starting line with the rest of the boys in the first grade. They were about to run around the soccer field - probably more like 300m than 400m.  It was their quarterly field day called "Color-house Day" since all the kids in the elementary school are split into 4 colors that compete against each other.

He was on the outside, but by the time they rounded the corner, he had sprinted in front of the whole pack, and I was seriously worried he wouldn't be able to keep that up and that things would end very badly (emotionally for him) with everyone passing him. But he stayed in the front and pulled ahead until the last quarter when Victor, the boy behind him here, started to catch up. Miles was slowing down. They crossed the finish line with Victor a half a step ahead. It was so exciting that I could hardly see - my tears were fogging up my sun glasses and I was crazily taking photos and cheering. Memories of the races I ran in school came rushing back to me- oh, the nausea and nerves!

He came in first in the sprints, as well. His time was the fastest in the first grade - obviously, he gets that from his dad.  I had a great photo of him crossing the finish line, but I lost that and a lot of other photos, unfortunately. At least I have it in my head... His class was very supportive and cheered him. It was all really special.

Eliza's field day was more like herding cats. Kids her age don't get simple things like running in a lane - all the kids ran straight to the teacher who was on the side line - or running a relay - oh, right, there's something in my hand. What's that for? I'm just so excited to be running!

Relays with 3- & 4-year-olds = pretty silly

5 Months Difference

This is Miles's first journal entry in Grade One:

 

This is his most recent entry:

How Life was Made, by Miles Brigham

A journal entry at school:  "This is earth five hundred and five billion years ago, a toxic world with no hope of life. Then everything changed. Another planet, Thea, smashed in to the Earth, creating a new world - our world. A smaller chunk of Thea became our moon, and slowly our oceans were formed until life on Earth was ready to begin." (facts remembered from BBC's "Walking with Monsters")

Sweet Friendship

Maria

A few weeks ago, Miles received a photo of a drawing by his friend from Jordan, Maria. It was a volcano with a skull & crossbones on it. After a year and a half of not seeing each other, Maria had thought about what Miles's interests were and drawn this and sent it to him. This was after I had sent Falastin, her mom and my friend, a message telling her that Miles still considered Maria his girlfriend. In Jordan, at ages 4 & 5, they decided they would get married when they grew up.

So Miles then made this (ballerinas on stage) which we sent to her. She has since made another volcano picture (above). 

 

Proud Moment

At guitar lessons today, Miles's teacher asked him out of the blue, What's your favorite song right now? And Miles said after some thought, Phantom Limb (The Shins).

Miles started taking guitar lessons weekly from a local musician named Prayer. At Miles's first lesson, Prayer played one of his own a songs, and I was fighting back tears. He's good. I really feel like it's a privilege for Miles to study under him. They meet in small room above some run-down shops.

Miles has learned "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Mary Had a Little Lamb," but he prefers chords. He has learned E, E minor, C, D and A, plus a few more "original" chords that he calls Shazan, Decul and Donko (his favorite, it's really cool). He is starting to get interested in actually practicing, too.

Miles in a lesson with Prayer

Friends & Fun

A lost/unfinished blog from November.

So you think slugs are gross? How about giant 8-inch-long FAT slugs that hang out on your back porch (right where you walk) or climb up the walls of your house or the INSIDE walls of your hallways? I'm not a big fan, but the kids think they're great. Miles's second unit of study in grade one was "Wings, Stings and Wiggly Things." They grew their own silk worms, went on "insect safaris," and learned to be fascinated instead of grossed-out by all the little creatures.

Yeah, that's a slug.

Our pool is nice but FREEZING cold. It's funny how so many houses have pools in this country, but I have never been swimming. It just doesn't get hot enough here. One day, I will find affordable insulation to cover the pool. The kids, however, like to spend a sunny day on the weekend, playing in the pool for as long as they can.

This is our tortoise, Cindy, who we inherited from the family we replaced. She's very low-maintenance, just eating what she finds in the garden. We see her only occasionally when she ventures out of the thickest parts of the bushes.

Eliza & Cindy

Everybody loves Mambo. When the kids wake up or just get home from school, first thing, they need a good old snuggle with the cat.

Mambo & Miles

Our children got into the terrible habit of watching TV while eating dinner when their mother realized that "Aang, The Last Airbender"- the Nickelodeon animated series - was the best show on TV for kids, as far as she was concerned. OK, there's fighting. But there's a war going on! And Aang must travel to the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes and the Air Nomad temples to learn how to bend the four elements so he can save the world. And by the way, Aang, our hero, is a humble, fun kid who wisely finds a way to battle evil without ever killing. The show has philosophical and stylistic similarities with anime, but it's more accessible for an American audience.

Anyway, after Halloween, Miles decided one day to dress up as Aang.

Focused meditation.

Panache and Miles with the day's avocados.

Aang, the last Airbender

When Santa Came...

Sorry, grandparents. Between figuring out a new camera (Nikon D90, yea!!) and a new photo management system (Picasa), I have been slow to respond to the blog requests. Add to that an unreliable Zimbabwean internet connection and the distractions of the holiday, and you get...well, get ready because here come those blogs!

A special thanks to our secret Santa who received packages from amazon for weeks that had to be unpacked and re-packed in suitcases that also had to be bought. There were customs officials to get by and all the uncertainty and stress of traveling across the world on Christmas Day to arrive in a country you've never been to... Thanks, Brian! You performed your voluntary duties with the utmost holiday cheer and added much needed kinfolk to our nuclear scene. We can't wait to hear about your adventures with 15 single women and 15 single men in South Africa's wine country, on safaris and shark diving (do tell!).

The kids start back to school on Tuesday. I don't know where the time went! Highlights for the kids this Christmas have been having a tree and Santa visiting them here, and getting so much time to just relax at home. 

Select Pics

Waiting for her milkshake at a tea shop after school.

Just after he lost his first top tooth, nearly a year since he lost his bottom two.

A New Look

Last night Miles woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and his other big front tooth hanging by a thread. If you recall losing your teeth as a baby, when a big tooth is still attached but by a dinky root, it's ...uncomfortable. There was to be no touching or even talking about the tooth, let alone pulling or twisting it. Miles had caught the fever his sister had last weekend, coupled with the dangling, darkening front tooth...and in the middle of the night...he was pitiful. 

As I lifted the mixing bowl to him when we thought a puke was coming on, he said, "You're being a good mom." Positive reinforcement in action! It gave me just enough energy to stay up with him until he finally fell asleep. In the morning, he felt all better, and the tooth was out!

Now he's enjoying a day off of school: from bed this morning, Can you bring me the iPad? After two hours of Angry Birds and Cut the Rope, he hung out in the little avocado tree sining Ah-bi-yoyo, Ah-bi-yoyo...(he says it's from the book which the music teacher read to them...about a giant who lives in Africa called Yoyo. Ah...this is it! Pete Seeger...who would have guessed.) 

After some jumping on the trampoline, practicing the hold-one-foot-while-bouncing-on-the-other-foot trick, he has come in here to ask me 1) if I can draw Ingromination and 2) where is Momo (our nickname for Mambo...but he's only asking because that's what King Boomy said in the last episode of Avatar: the last Airbender.) I'm thinking we should get his hair cut!

Abomination, aka Ingrommination, Miles's selection

Wouldn't You Like to Be a Worm?

No. Not really.

Miles's class just finished a unit on invertebrates. In addition to caring for silk worms that became moths, and going on an "invertebrate safari" field trip, the kids worked for weeks to prepare for a big performance. Miles was a worm along with a few others.

H-E-R-M-A-P-H-R-O-D-I-T-E
Come on kids, get it right.
That old greek word, hermaphrodite.
There's no girl, there's no boy.
We're all the same in the earthworm world. 
There's no Mr. There's no Mrs.
There's no brothers. There's no sisters.
Don't you worry. Don't you fuss.
'Cause that's how nature created us!


The first time I heard vague snippets of Miles singing this as he played around the house, I thought, that's funny, it sounds like he's spelling hermaphrodite. And low and behold, he was. This was his (and all the kids, I was pleased to see) favorite song which they performed with much gusto - twice! Gotta love science.

Worms

Miles (with standard issue certificate for excellent work) and his Teaching Assistant Miss Boxter & Eliza

And did you know that worms have 5 hearts?

Sorry, I wish I could post some videos of the performance. Sweet and hilarious. You really can't underestimate the value of a first grade teacher with a sense of humor.

Sweet moment between Miles and his awesome teacher, Mrs. Breathnach

Getting Back to Basics

We’ve been home in Harare for around 6 weeks now. Eliza started Early Childhood class (EC1) at HIS, so David takes her and Miles to school together every morning.  Classes start at 7:15. Eliza has Ms. Gayle (Zimbabwean), and Miles is in Grade 1 with Mrs. Breathnach (pronounced Bre-nok, Irish). They are both great teachers, so we feel lucky and relieved to be just at the start of a whole year with them.

I pick up Eliza every day at 11:45 (yes, still the a.m.!). On Thursdays, I take her to swimming lessons after school, but otherwise, she is usually tired and ready to chill at home with a dvd and then play with Panache, Herbert’s 4-year-old son. Miles finishes classes at 2 but has an activity until 3 MWTh. This year he chose clay molding, stone carving and marimba, a local instrument that resembles a xylophone. He is very happy with his activities.

When Miles gets home, he usually heads for the trampoline, the center of life for all the kids: Eliza, Panache, Miles & Shepherd. Miles usually has 45 minutes of homework (!!) which we start promptly at 4:30...and so begins the night-time routine of dinner, bath, books and bed. Eliza crashes as early as 6:45. Miles goes to bed at 7:15. 

Ah, routine.

Miles on the trampoline

Eliza, Shepherd and Panache in front of the Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow flowering bush

Eliza convincing the boys to play dress up

A Happy Sixth

Miles’s birthday party day started with his professing so much pain in his legs that he couldn’t stand or walk. He also was a little sniffly and slightly warm. (grrrrrrrr) I wasn’t terribly sympathetic, I confess. If you don’t get up and start running around normally, I’m calling off this party! Oh, he did not want me to call it off, but he still hobbled around. I’m fine, Mom! (grabbing on to furniture, knees bent stutter-stepping, even crawling!) [Miles: I had an idea, and I pulled myself along the ground with my hands.] That went on for a couple of hours, and then I started getting worried. Maybe he had some godforsaken African virus that attacks the muscles or joints or something. So I decided we’d go to the doctor (open on a Saturday morning, thankfully). Time was ticking and I was thinking, we’ll have to go ahead on the cake, but I could still cancel the balloons… But after not toooo long a wait, the doctor on duty said he had a slight cold and “growing pains” – sometimes one bone will grow faster than another which can be very uncomfortable… So I dosed Miles with some ibuprofen and the party was on! [Miles: At the time of my party, I could walk, stand and run!]

[Since I wrote that, Eliza came down with the same “growing pains” symptoms from what I can only assume was some godforsaken virus. This time it was Easter Sunday, exactly a week after Miles had been sick, so there was no hope of the doctor’s office being open. We had plans to leave that morning and drive 4 hours to Antelope Park to stay with another family in a house there, (more on that later) so we decided to go on since Miles had recovered after a few hours. It was scary to see Eliza in so much pain she couldn’t straighten her legs or walk and her symptoms did last longer, but by early evening she was running around. Does not make me feel very confident in that doctor on duty, however. I’ll be talking to their regular doctor about it.]



Back to the party…Miles’s KG class is all girls except for 3 other boys, 2 of whom couldn’t come, and then we had a couple other friends. They wore costumes and got little nametags to write their alias when they arrived. There was Sleeping Beauty, Tinkerbell, Hannah Montana, Cinderella (Eliza), Princess, Skeleton Girl, Spooky, Batman, Monsta, Kirriyo (no idea…something Italian?), and Crush-doh-man (Miles).



Six-year-olds are certainly more mature than 5-year-olds. They knew the rules of the games and reminded each other. They were very orderly and nice. (Maybe it’s because they were mainly girls.) It was too bad David couldn’t be there, but I had our friend Clem and a few new mom friends to hang out with (Nevena-Serbian, Bettina-Austrian, and Michelle-Zimbabwean).



On Miles’s actual birthday the next weekend, we opened some gifts David had brought back from the States, and we went to an Easter party with a few other families at Clem’s house. It was a nice scene…we stayed all day and night. The kids swam, hunted Easter eggs, and watched attentively as David set up Miles’s water pressured rocket which provided sufficient entertainment when it blasted 100 feet in the air and then landed on the house. Setting it up a second time proved impossible although the dads did make a valiant effort.