brief visit to Castries

Before I go into today’s (hard!) workJ, I must apologise for not mentioning the kind donations of wool and crayons etc. The Principal was over the moon and asked me to say a massive thank you to all involved. The children are benefiting from your kind gifts as I write this.

Wednesday 9^th July 2010

Went into Castries (town) with Rodney to look for some pesticide to kill termites; these little chaps are having lunch inside some of the wooden work areas in the vocation section. On the way back we stopped at a work placement (pre-school nursery) to check on a student who is working one day a week. The nursery was very well organised and the children were so well behaved; they were sat having there food not making a noise, amazing. The student is doing so well the nursery manager is extending her work to two days per week with pay. This is excellent news considering the difficulties the student experiences.

On arrival back at school I continued with the assessment work then the weather started to come in quite heavy complete with thunder. This unfortunately put a stop to the planned garden project. The younger children get very frightened when the thunder and lightening starts, which is to some degree surprising as the thunder cannot be heard for the noise of the children. From the garden area you are able to see the cruise ship in the main harbour; it’s a pity the visitors will only get about four hours to visit the town in this weather J. The afternoon was spent working with Imran who is a student with physical difficulties and possible Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Along with these difficulties, there are concerns regarding his behaviour towards other students. This was a challenge for me as there were additional issues concerning his home life that was potentially influencing his behaviour. We agreed some specific targets Imran to aim for while I am there and I will help him with his reading, drawing, writing and playing football (yes I said football, stop laughing). If he maintains the targets while I am there, I will go into town with Rodney and buy him a football. I did emphasise that while a football was for a few games, changing his behaviour and attitude will help him for life. All in all, apart from the mozzy bites, a good productive day.