Weeks 8, 9 and the Field Trip

Lots to fit into the blog this week as I am 2 weeks behind and have at least one fun trip to write about.

On 5 October, the elementary school went on their first field trip in South Africa. We loaded into 4 Land Rovers and drove about an hour away to the the tidal pools. After of cold hour of playing in the sand, pools and water we had lunch on the beach. It was cooler, but at least no one got sun burned. :) We were able to have a fun snack of ice cream and then headed to the Natal Sharks Board in Umhangla. This is a place that monitors the sharks along the eastern coast and sets up nets to keep swimmers safe. Sharks that are caught in the nets and die are brought to the Sharks Board for research. On Tuesdays and Thursday, public is allowed to come and watch them cutting open the shark to learn more about them. The teachers were wondering how this would all work, but actually it was a really fun time for everyone and the preschoolers especially were amazed by the real shark that they could see and touch after and also all the models around. It was a long day, but well worth it.


In class, we have started a new theme of friends. We have talked about what a friend is, how we share with our friends and now we are talking about how friends can be near and far away. We made beaded braclets one day to share with friends - each child made a braclet and then gave it to a friend in class. Later in the day they had fun making more for other people (brothers, sisters, friends and family).
Bible lessons have continued with the story of Noah one week and then Abraham and Sarah having baby Isaac the next. The focus of Noah's ark was God's promises and the focus for Baby Isaac's story was on how each child is a gift from God to their parents. This week we will be looking at Jacob, Esau and what happens when we lie.
Outside, the weather has been changing from day to day. One day it can be sunny and almost too warm to be in the sun and the next day we are wishing for a bit of sun to shine through the mist and fog. Although the wetter weather is much appreciated by the local farmers, it will be nice when the weather gets a bit warmer in the coming months. Favourite toys for outside play right now seem to be plastic balls, Hula Hoops and bean bags. Some of the dads also made a really great swing and tire swing which have been popular.