Back to School and Routines

Last week, we started Belle's homeschooling program so that we'd be able to take a few days off when the baby comes and also so she'd have some routine established when I returned to work this past Sunday. So far, homeschooling has been a challenge - as we try and navigate being the teacher and the parent. But we all believe this is the appropriate thing to do to keep Belle on track academically.  We also signed Belle up for Girl Scouts in Al Ain - and because of the way they do things here, she will be a brownie for one extra year.

On Sunday, I started school at my new school. The building itself opened in January and the staff and student body are made up of the merger of three schools, to make one very large Cycle 3 (grades 10-12) school. This week has been a staff only week, and filled with meetings and more meetings, as well as getting to know my new English Medium Teacher colleagues. It is quite different going from one C3 partner to working with 14 other EMTs.   We have grade level teams, which is quite lovely and I've been assigned 11th grade science girls for right now. Generally the science girls tend to be a little more academic-minded and also have a higher degree of English fluency. These are nice changes.  The best part of my school is that it is only 15 minutes from my home and about 15 minutes from the hospital (important as I've only got about a month left before our new family member arrives).  I've been pretty tired after work each day, and I'm a bit nervous how this bodes since next week, I begin actively teaching when the students arrive on Sunday.

The pool at my new school

Every time one of my new Arabic colleagues sees me, she asks me why I am not walking (if I am in a meeting) and if I am walking, tells me, good job and to keep walking. She is very concerned that I have a good labor. 

Rob has been very busy doing airport runs, and this weekend he is going to be doing border runs for a bunch of new teachers. Our calendar is quite colorful with all the appointments this month.


The best part of this month so far is catching up with all our friends who have returned from their summer holidays.