School?

 

 

For many reasons we've decided to send out kids to Haitian school.  We'd love our children to learn the language quickly and to make friends.  We'd love to become more involved in the community where this school is located.  And as parents, we'd like to provide more structure to our kids' days and more concentrated language learning to our  mornings as well.  School starts here in Haiti on October 1st.  We have a lot to do to get our kids ready.  We need to enroll them in age-appropriate grades (as opposed to academic levels), buy material and have a local seamstress sew them school uniforms, and attempt to find and buy their school books.

 

 

 

 

The school is in Bellview, a community a one-mile walk from our house.  The walk is adventurous as we go through a wooded area, along an irrigation system, and over a creek.  The school is run by Maxo, a local partner, and has approximately 60 kids.  There are two temporary shelter buildings each housing three classrooms.  Each classroom has three row desks, a chalkboard, and a small table for the teacher.  School is taught in both Kreyol and French.  The school day is from 8am to noon.  Our children will still be homeschooled in the afternoons at academically appropriate levels in English. 

 

Luke is quite excited.  He wants to learn the language quickly and make friends right away.  The girls are timid yet desiring to go.  The girls will most likely be in the same classroom for moral support.  In just a few weeks our kids will be uniformed up and on their way to full immersion.