Granddaughter Sofia (Chiquitita) has been here now for a month already. It sure doesn't seem like it (except at bedtime...which seems to take more effort)
(And what a nice change from the cold and dreary northern Midwest--not that snow, slush, sleet and mud aren't fun for kids too....)
Anyway, after some hammock swinging and breakfast, it's off to school on the golf cart.
A couple different golf cart photos...coming...going...
The golf cart is definitely a favorite thing.
She never gets enough of it.
And here we are coming to the school gate, before entering. She just needs to be reassured that we are coming back to pick her up on the golf cart.
And here we are coming to the school gate, before entering. She just needs to be reassured that we are coming back to pick her up on the golf cart.
Below is Chiquitita with her main preschool teacher, Irasema. She is in the first year of preschool Kinder. Kinder Uno.
After Kinder tres, you can 'graduate to 1st grade.
The teachers are very loving and caring about each child, and give them lots of individual attention
The teachers and administration at this school, Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, were a big selling point for me in selecting this school.
(It is named for the founder --Spanish-- of the island.) I believe there is a day on the calendar here to honor him.
Besos, coming and going.
also, last week, in the same space, we were invited to stay and watch a performance by the 'upper class' kids who did a Yucatecan dance, La Jorona; Afterwards, we were treated to special, traditional Yucatecan foods.
It was for 'Carnaval' for which the kids had an extra couple days off.
The girl below, left, is Irasema's daughter. She was a proud mother (& we sent the pics to her).
The other day, last Friday, I was asked to come at 1pm; I thought they'd just be getting out an hour early (school time, 9am-2pm), but it was for a group conference. Homework and projects from last several weeks were handed out; also, an evaluation, and even sort of 'exam' results for basic information they should be learning (letters, colors, numbers, sounds, etc.) I loved that for 'P' the kids had pasted in 'Pocoyo' who is one of Sofia's favorite characters.
I like that a lot of the Pocoyo features we watch (she watches) on You Tube are in both English and Spanish, allowing her more listening practie.
Her Spanish is really coming along. Once in a while now, she'll correct me...!
(like telling me it's 'excusado' in place of baño, at times... which may be technically more correct...)
One thing that surprised me was that every day Chiquitita was coming home with a new harido.
I discovered that Lucy, a teacher assistant (I think?), fixes up, redresses, cleans up & redoes hair, etc. before kids leave for the day.
Wow. She does a far better job than I with hair.
I need to do a post just featuring hair styles :)
And left, is Lucy.
Lucy, the favorite of Sofia, and the one who works miracles with hair and dressing, including talc powder (which is on the list of supplies I need to send...) They all get powdered up before being sent home !
(again, this is preschool, so there is a lot of caretaking going on also...)
It helps that Lucy reminds Sofi of her mother...and also that she has hair like mommy too :)
Besos to Lucy...and Irasema too...
They are making her preschool experience possible, and positive.
We are going month by month, and it will be sad when we have to say 'adios' before their year is done in late June...?
but, we will have learned a lot, and we hope this is a place we can have Sofi come back to every year for some learning and Spanish immersion in this special place.
2 comments:
So cute. Sofi is staying until June?
I wish that would work out; then she'd REALLY know Spanish. We hope this can be on ongoing, annual thing for her. But, looks like her stay may wrap up around mid-April (2 months total). Which, as you know for ESL kids, is not all that unusual!
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