A very busy week... and Uno de Mayo!

Sometimes, you get to the end of something and wonder, "Is it over already?"  That's exactly how this whole week and weekend has been.

The kids are officially in the last days of school. They have 45 instructional days remaining and about  10 of those days will be during Ramadan. We're all in a holding pattern to see how those 10 days will shake out. We know we will have "half days", but we don't know if that half day will end at 11 am, noon, or 1 pm. Will the cafeteria even be "open" on campus? Will the classes be shortened each day to squeeze them all in? Or, will be have a Day1A (morning periods), followed by Day1B (afternoon periods)? It's all a big mystery and the topic of much debated discussion at the bus stop each day. "Insha'Allah", as they say.....

But, I digress....

This week was an especially busy one. First, I got to teach... really TEACH in 4th grade. I was the "guest speaker" to help kick-off the new unit about "where we live in space and time". They are talking about the solar system. The 4th grade team lead knew I "could talk about science", so he called me and asked if I would do it. YES!!! Each class has given me about half of their day to work with the kids doing thought experiments and hands on activities.

I've had a great time visiting the various classrooms and leading discussions/doing experiments that help the kids begin to ask the questions about why we have life on our planet but not other planets.... and could life be possible on other planets somewhere "out there" in our universe? I taught twice this past week and have two more classes lined up for next week.

Truly, the only challenge has been finding cornstarch. I've already bought out the local supplier I know and I'm not sure they will be able to get more by Sunday AM. We are making ooblik to help understand the surfaces of the gas planets (specifically, why we cannot land on them with a space ship) and the kids are really enjoying it. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't spend most of today running all over town searching various hypermarkets for cornstarch!

So, maybe this week felt so action-packed because our evenings were just as busy as our days.

Devin had his last season game on Monday and they won! We ended the season second in the league overall. Not bad for a non-profit league that is still in it's infancy...

Then on Tuesday, we had a planetarium show to commemorate the Hubble Telescope's 25th Year. It was a full hour of amazing images.

Wednesday night, we attended the School Musical, "We Are Monsters", put on by the Primary Years kids. Olivia had originally wanted to be in this production, but she missed the auditions because I kept her home from school that day. She did, however, have several classmates in the show so we went to support them.

The show was amazing. It was funny and exciting.... and we had a great time attending. The kids ranged in ages from 7 to 10 years. It always amazes me how much these kids can do at this age. They had memorized all their lines AND all the songs. Plus, they danced, cracked jokes, and pulled off some seriously funny situational comedy. I don't even know most of the kids, and I was so proud of them!

Thursday night had the whole family meeting at the Park Rotana Hotel in Abu Dhabi for Devin's futball banquet. Devin had to wear a collared shirt (which he was not excited about) and us girls got to wear dresses (which we WERE excited about).

The awards ceremony took two full hours. There were awards for league play, participation, most improved, best player (peer voted), best player (coach voted), etc. It was a very long list. Devin was acknowledged 3 times and ended up taking home a medal, a trophy, and two vouchers for a local sports store.  All in all, a good night....

Now we all know what happens to kids when they have cash, even "voucher cash", in their pockets. It meant we had a legitimate reason to visit Yas Mall! As it turns out, Devin couldn't find anything he wanted at the sports store, but both Madeline and Olivia did! So, Devin sold his vouchers to Olivia who bought inline skates and Madeline who bought a Ripstick.

I'm really proud of the way the kids have been budgeting. They get a weekly allowance (awarded every other week, actually) and I expect them to buy their own snacks and "extras" with it. Stuff is always coming up at school (dress down days, bake sales, etc.) and they are expected to use their allowance for these incidentals. However, they also have the option of saving their allowance and buying something BIG... like an RC toy (Devin's usual pick) or stuffed animals (Madeline's typical choice) or games (Olivia's current favorite).

This time, the lure of the skates and a Ripstick proved worth the expense and the girls handed over their cash. Devin did not go home empty-handed, though. He ended up at the Virgin Megastore (our new favorite) and found a foam tipped bow and arrow set (Lord, give me patience because you KNOW he's going to ambush his sisters.... It's only a matter of time....) and a small RC hovercraft boat he intends to run in the fountain downstairs.

I picked up a couple of golf shirts from the NikeGolf store, myself. I don't actually play golf, but apparently the clubhouses here have a very strict rule about "golf attire" on their greens and, frankly, I'm tired of looking dumpy in one of Lindsey's oversized shirts!

And, I know what you are thinking...
Yes, Yas Mall has a hypermarket. There's a Geant hypermarket in the basement... and, No, they don't have cornstarch.  They have the thickener "corn flour" .... but it's not the same.  But I appreciate you looking out for me and thinking about it....

So, we returned home from Yas Mall, the kids immediately took their new treasures out for a spin on the second floor, and I got busy making sangria and stuffed bell peppers. See, we are celebrating Uno de Mayo with a covered-dish affair with members of Lindsey's team.

What's Uno de Mayo?

... It's what you celebrate instead of Cinco de Mayo because the 5th of May is a work day and the 1st of May is not!  (Hey, you have to be flexible.) And, seriously, you learn to take what you can get when you live in a country that has NO IDEA what you are talking about most of time.

Uno de Mayo is a perfect example... I'm sure it's very confusing to the locals why a group of non-hispanic Americans get all excited about a holiday that isn't really a holiday at all in a country that is NOT their home country and actually originates as a small victory (that is later a defeat) on Mexican soil between some Mexican locals and the French army. See?

This is the point where I get the blank stares... the questioning looks about my sanity...
I've had more than one non-American expat ask me to explain... and each time I end with the same phrase:
"Basically, it's an excuse to get together, BBQ, and drink margaritas..."
That's when everyone nods their head and suddenly totally understands... and usually wants to come along!

It was a fun evening and we all had a great time, but I don't have any pictures. It's probably safer that way... This isn't the first gathering of this group and the customary Pictionary game is always a highly competitive event.  I do believe the unofficial "team captains" were lobbying for members all during dinner, and it still took over 15 minutes to get people settled to sides. It is clear that there are some highly competitive people on this project.... It boiled down to what we will call "Lindsey's team" vs "Sara's team". Most of the boys were on Lindsey's side... most of the girls were on Sara's.

Husbands and wives were not allowed on the same team as they may have some added advantage or be privy to insider information. Certain people were sternly warned about their use of hand gestures, full body mimics, and sounds during drawing. Control of "the timer" became heated at least twice! "Trash talking" was elevated to Olympic levels....

Whew! In the end, I believe the game ended in a tie... although I'm sure "Lindsey's team" would undoubtably claim they won "first". Plus, they are STILL arguing that we are at least one point down over the FOX drawing.  Rubbish!!

Best drawing/guess of the night had to be the drawing of "grid lock"... which was actually guessed in time!!! I'm still amazed at that one.

So, here I sit on the morning after... nursing a good cuppa tea while the kids slowly awake. Lindsey was off at 6 AM for 18 holes with a co-worker on their ONE day off a week. (Crazy men!) I'm still sporing PJs but my thoughts are definitely headed out of the flat.... on the hunt for cornstarch...

... maybe LuLu's at Mushrif Mall? I can pick up cool whip while I'm there.... (the only place in Abu Dhabi I've found cool whip so far....)
Perhaps, Al Whada Mall? We can get Devin's haircut at the same time....
Dalma Mall? I haven't been there in ages....
.... Someone said the LuLu's by the gold souk always has lots of expat favorites....

Ug. I guess I better get dressed. It looks like it's going to be a very busy day....

School Conference Time....

School is almost over.

I say that, but we do have 50 more school days left. Still, we are in the home stretch. We are at "mid-term" and with that realization comes the Student-led Conference....

Parent/Teacher conferences happen a little differently here in the UAE... or maybe it's just at GEMS. The students both attend and lead the conference. That's right... THE STUDENTS. They get to tell the teacher and the parent what they feel is their greatest strength and weakness in the particular class. The whole thing has a completely different feel from what I've experienced in the states.

At the very core of GAA's academic policy is that the students... not the teachers and not the parents... have ownership of their own learning. This presents in lots of different ways that I've witnessed just with my own three kids. My kids have had to be responsible for their own homework, coordinating inside and outside of class with their peers on projects, finding information from the internet about related topics, studying DAILY for classes that do not necessarily assign homework for grades, and keeping up with 12 different classes each term. Each kid has had to be their own advocate about grades, disputes between group members, late work, tests, etc.  Teachers are neither expected nor required to contact a parent because a student is late with work, is failing a class, or is lacking in effort. Instead, the teacher speaks with the student and the student is expected to resolve the issue. Only in extreme cases is a parent called.

As a parent, it's a little bit terrifying.... and a little bit liberating.

We've experienced a rough patch or two as our kids have adjusted to this new way of thinking. Homework was forgotten, turned in late (with a point penalty), or completely ignored (since it wasn't for a grade).... and the kids have felt the sting of a zero on an assignment or a failing test grade as a result. Consequently, there is often no allowance made for make-up work or "redo". Teachers do not routinely "curve" grades. OUCH. It seems harsh, but it only took once or twice before I noticed my kids studying their Arabic/French/Science/History vocabulary unprompted or doing all the (30 or so) assigned math problems even though the teacher doesn't actually take a grade on it.

Wow.  I guess this "accountability" thing really does work in school.

Of course, it works because as parents, we stand behind the teachers. We say to our kids... "Well, why didn't you study? Why didn't you do the math problems? Why didn't you practice the verb conjugations? Why didn't you watch the Arabic pronunciation videos?"

We didn't let the kids "get lazy" in their school work by allowing them excuses. It was a bumpy adjustment for all of us.....

So, back to the school conferences.... The school actually closes classes for the two days the conferences are scheduled. The primary (elementary) grades have actual appointment times (30 min each) and we meet in the classroom. Olivia took me through her classroom, explained the various displays on the walls and how they relate to the topics her class is studying, showed me her portfolio, and then proceeded to explain what she thought her strengths and weaknesses were in her learning process. The teacher was largely silent, only adding comments to clarify a statement or help explain a topic of study. Not surprisingly, Olivia knew exactly where she needs to work harder and what she's most proud of achieving. The teacher then added details about how she works well with others and how she's grown into a very confident presenter. She left feeling largely proud of herself, and yet she was clear what she also needs to focus on for the next 50 school days.

The secondary level does their conferences a bit differently:

All the teachers are in the gym at tables. You wait until your teacher is available and then approach their table. There are no set time tables and no appointments. Basically, it's come-and-go for an 8 hour period. The first day has a late start to accommodate later hours for working parents, and the second day runs over normal school hours.

It feels a little bit like the really old days of college course registration. You know... the one where you had to register for a class in person by standing in line and getting "the section sticker"?

With 12 teachers for each Devin and Madeline, it was going to take awhile... We packed snacks and eReaders.

Again, the student leads the meeting. It took about 10 minute per teacher, but we were able to listen to the kids explain what they think were their greatest strengths/weaknesses/achievements/struggles in each class. The teachers had their grade books available and were able to discuss specific assignments with us. If a grade was missing, we were also told.... all eyes shift to the student and a long silent pause ensues with the clear unstated question of "why?"

I would like to say that both Devin and Madeline had all their work turned in on time, but it wasn't the case. Each of them squirmed in their seat at least once during our rounds that afternoon, but they are better for experiencing that uncomfortable feeling. They were held accountable for their work. We had some really great discussions between them, their teachers, and me as to how to be more successful in keeping up with their assignments and organizing their materials. In many cases, it was just poor habits that is at the root of the problem.  But in every case, it is them (not me or the teacher) that must make the changes and be responsible.

In a few cases, the kids were able to discuss how they could correct a mistake, turn in late work (if allowed), and/or raise the current grade with an extra or upcoming assignment. All of which, rested squarely on their shoulders. The kids were given the opportunity to see where they currently stand in a class and then make a plan as how to make adjustments/improvements for the next half term.

All in all.... it was a great afternoon. We left feeling uplifted and with new purpose. The conferences achieved their goals of keeping everyone informed and providing direction for the remaining 10 weeks of school.

I've said it before... but I truly believe that the international school experience is absolutely wonderful for my kids.

A little shadow play...

Olivia's class is doing a unit on "How we express ourselves". Since GEMS AA is a PYP (Primary Years Program) IB school, this means that the teachers try to incorporate this theme into every subject throughout the day.... maths, science, history, English, art. Arabic, PE.... You get the idea. 

This can be quite challenging, but I'm always impressed with how the staff pulls it off. Today was no exception. 

I accompanied two of the 4th grade classes on a field trip to Manarat Al Saadiyat (which literally means: the place of enlightenment). The building is on Saadiyat Island & houses a series of temporary & permanent art exhibits for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi & Louvre Abu Dhabi (which are currently under construction). 

The gallery/museum had organized a private tour & a hands-on activity associated with the current exhibition:  "Seeing Through Light". 

The collection is explained thus... 

(from the brochure): "The artwork displayed is presented through five sections that examine the exhibition’s theme of ‘light’ in various iterations: Perceptual, Reflected, Transcendent, Activated, and Celestial."

Wow.... I do believe 4th grade may need their dictionaries for a few of those words! Sounds pretty deep for the 9 year old set, but I've heard lots of good feedback. It should be fun. Olivia was certainly looking forward to it!

The kids were instructed on the usual protocol: no touching the art, no running, no eating, & photos are allowed only in certain areas...

It took about 30 minutes to tour the whole gallery. The kids asked a lot of good questions & paid attention to our guide. 

Some of the art was designed to play with reflection.... & our guide asked the kids, "Can you imagine what these reflective poles would look like in the open dessert? From how far away could you see them on a sunny hot day? Would the result make you curious & travel across the sand to investigate?" 

Hmmmm... Thought provoking already!!

Other parts of the exhibit, played with shadows. This globe, made out of various terms for "love" written in Arabic, can only be read by reading the shadows that are cast around the globe when light shines through it. (It's really a beautiful concept & there's some deep thoughts in there, if you really start to ponder it.... But those nuances were lost on this preteen crowd. They just thought the metal writing was cool!)

...  And then there's always that one piece that just makes you scratch your head... This was 6 lines of boxes that change colors in a predetermined sequence related to the number 54. 

I still don't get it.... Why 54? That's not in the Fibonacci Sequence (55 is....), it's not the factorial of 6 (that's 720), it's not the frequency of some special light wave (54 Hz is waaaay to slow).... So why 54? What possible mathematical or scientific reasoning could it be? Ug. I may never know...

There were displays about light & color, shadow & gradient, sound & light, language & earth metals...  We could have been a physics class, a math class, an art class, or even a history class (the artists span the years from 1960 to present & come from many different cultures). I had to practically bite my tongue to keep from pointing out all the various educational ties. 

But the pièce de résistance... & everyone's favorite... was an infinity room hung with tiny colored lights to simulate being in space.... as if you, yourself, were a celestial body. 

Photos just don't do it justice; it's really an experience. I think it was at this moment, when most of the kids began to understand what drives an artist to create: the feelings provoked by a piece of art. 

To see the wonder on thier faces as we stood in this (rather) tiny room... in the dark... surrounded by mirrors or water on  all sides... & then have the lights twinkle & reflect...

Yeah, totally awesome! 

So after everyone had their moment of wonder in the infinity room, we were off to the hands-on activity. Using light, the kids were to create layered (stacked) shadow outlines of themselves. Our instructor demonstrated how to use the tripod flashlights. 

The outlines could then be enhanced with color (pastels) to show shadow, movement, emotion, or pattern. 

Mr Scott (Olivia's teacher) talks about how this activity lets everyone express themselves differently. Five groups of four meant we would have lots of masterpieces! 

The kids really got into it & I'm truly impressed with the outcomes. 

Of course, we ARE talking about chalks so you knew it was only a matter of time before someone discovered...

... Smudging. 

It got a whole lot more messy....

But who can argue with the final result?

There were actually several really good ones... Here's another of my favorites:

We washed up, then sat down to review the finished pieces. The kids had some insightful comments about the use of colors, shading, & smudging. Of course it helps to know each other so well, so lots of the comments revolved around personal descriptions of the artists. 

One kid completely shaded his profile in two gradients of orange. Why? Because he likes oranges & the color! One kid used every available color in his box to "scribble scrabble" around his outline. Why? Because he was feeling crazy!!!

LOL! 

I can only imagine how the kids will be using this experience in their various studies over the next few weeks...  

BBQ Chicken sliders, sangria, & pavlova.... Oh my!

Today was the annual IFF (International Food Festival) at GEMS American Academy.

The event is an annual one where each country represented provides foods & information about the country's heritage. Parents are encouraged to meet up with other families from their home countries to plan the menu, a game or activity, and/or have a performance. There are awards (bragging rights, really) awarded to the best decorated, best food, best activity, etc. 

This year, over 23 countries were represented by the various booths. 

As you can see, this is no small affair.

Of course, the kids & I helped Team USA. We decided on a 4th of July theme. Our decorations centered around fireworks & bunting. 

For the activity, we had a photo booth. 

But the real star of the day, was our BBQ chicken sliders with coleslaw & homemade apple desserts. 

The smells from our booth were pure heaven... we had lots of repeat customers! It was almost like being back home.  LOL!

I worked the first half hour shift, then started the tasty walk around the countries.  This took careful planning & a lot of strategy. 

I'm so full. Even if - by some miracle - you could limit yourself to only one bite from each country, there's no possible way to sample everything. Most countries offered 2 or 3 main dishes .... Some of which I've never seen before... 

(Ummmm... Is the goat head laughing at me?) I think this was in Turkey...

Plus, several sweets... 

(The pavlova from Australia was homemade & soooooo good! Reminded me of the one my Aussie friend, Liz, made for us a few years back!)

And drinks... 

I found Sangria in Spain!  (Sadly, it contained no wine as this was a school sponsored event.)

Ahhhh... Nothing like a cool sangria on a hot day! Really hits the spot!

The kids had a great time traveling to each other's home countries to sample the various cuisines. Madeline found several of her Italian friends passing out pizza & lasagna. 

But I think the best part of the whole event is the spirit of community & the eagerness with which everyone wants to share a little bit about their homelands. Every booth we visited welcomed us warmly. They wanted to share in their foods, their dress, their special holidays, & culture. No judgement; just friendship. 

Some things we tried & loved.... Sometimes, well.... 

We discovered that we don't like Pakastan's lemonade (too salty, go figure!), but we loved their jewelry & rickshaw transportation. 

It was a great day.... & I'm blessed that our school offers these events to further the international spirit of community. I was really proud of the kids for trying so many of the various foods... Even the ones that seemed to look back at you! 

Not so "Revolting!!!"

One of the perks of an International School has to be the variety & scope of talents collected under one roof. And I'm talking about the students AND the teachers....

The differences between the various cultures is celebrated almost daily & a respect for each culture is fostered through so much of what happens in & out of the classroom. 

Devin has 12 different classes this semester. Seriously, TWELVE! Two of these classes are in the arts... He takes a band class & a theater class. 

It must be quite amazing & challenging to teach kids from such different backgrounds. So, I am in a constant state of awe when the arts teachers provide creative outlets such as this:

Devin sorta played the whole event down as "no big deal", but I would disagree! 

We started the evening with the members of the International Key Club circulating with food & drinks. The school lobby had been converted to an elegant setting complete with draped tables & candles...

We were allowed into the auditorium at 7 PM via a red carpet.  They had a red carpet!! 

There was even a photographer (a moonlighting teacher, I believe) on hand to take group photos. 

We took our seats & settled in for the show. I really wasn't sure what to expect...

Some of the numbers I recognize, some I don't. The only thing I knew for sure was that Devin had a part in No 22. Revolting Children, from the musical: Matilda. (He's been singing the lyrics around the flat for weeks & my girls have been re watching the movie on YouTube.)

What I DIDN'T realize was that Devin had parts in about 4 different vignettes. Cheeky little monkey never said a word! 

I snapped these during "Miss Ellie Etiquette ". He even had speaking parts! It was fast, but I think he says: "Oh yeah..." & "You stink!"

Grrrrrr... 

The show continued & was very entertaining. It bounced back & forth between comedy bits, musical numbers, dance pieces, & monologues... 

Then Devin suddenly popped up again! This time I think he's one of the "adoring fans" without a speaking part, but lots of acting...

Some of the pieces were light-hearted & funny dealing with topics like grades & social situations. Others were much deeper in context dealing with bullying & vanity. The dance numbers varied from ballet to modern, to hip-hop to a traditional Korean dance (complete with full costume!) I can honestly say that the students were able to swing the audience through a very wide range of emotions. 

Of course, in my opinion, the best number was "Revolting Children"! Devin even had a small solo. 

I took a video (which I can't post here since only photos are supported on this blog), but my phone died about halfway through the number. (Sigh)

I was so proud of him! Who knew the boy child could sing & dance?! He looked like he was having a great time. He was smiling & (practically) laughing through the whole show. He certainly had me smiling!!!

I asked him after the show if he was ever nervous. He said he had a great time & was never nervous... Not at all. 

Wow! I do believe we have a thespian in the family....

Bravo! Bravo!

My impromptu flight to France....

So, whenever I'm at the school between activities, I like to pop down to Kindergarden. I've subbed in a lot of the classes so I know a lot of the kids. They are super cute, funny & let's face it.... no kindergarden teacher is ever going to turn away an extra set of adult hands in her class! 

Today was a little different, however: the kids weren't IN the class following a teacher so much as they had TAKEN OVER the hallway & classroom!!!

When I walked through KG2 (the older kinders), they were in the midst of a big discovery unit about traveling our world! I was immediately grabbed by 2 cuties (travel agents, it turned out) who asked me, "Where do you want to go see?" They pulled me into their "offices" where they helped me fill out my vacation planning form. 

Next, I was directed to passports & ticketing where another agent assisted me with a passport application. 

Since I would be traveling to France, I was told I would need a visa stamp in my passport. She directed me to "step around the corner" for the proper stickers. 

Sadly, cameras are not allowed in this area (you know how strict those officials are....), but I did get a picture of my final passport w/ visa sticker attached.  

I'm never happy with the passport photo. I think I blinked in this one....

Anyway, I had to re queue for a plane ticket... & it was quite a bottle neck as one of the agents was "on break"... Or maybe it was actually shift change. I did notice that some of the "agents" became "passengers", & vice versa. 

Finally, with ticket & validated passport in hand, I was directed to "security". 

My carry on luggage (lunch bag) & personal item (purse) had to be x-rayed while I would go through the metal detector. 

The security officer on duty was very strict & took his job very seriously. I got "buzzed" (he really did make that sound!) as I walked through because I still had my phone on me.

Oops. I put the phone on the x-ray belt & tried again. I got "buzzed" TWO more times before he would let me through! He didn't like my badge or my bracket (a JawBone)... said one had too much metal & the other was an electronic device! 

Smart kid!

But, he still "wanded me" on the other side because of my necklace. This time, I passed inspection & was allowed to collect my luggage. 

I didn't have long to board my flight, and I was almost late! All that security had me running to the gate. The flight attendant led me right to my seat & helped me stow my luggage under my seat. I was in seat number 1 right behind the pilot. 

I took a quick selfie with my fellow passengers.

If you've ever flown with me, you know I'm "a talker". So, it didn't take me long to find out that my fellow passengers were on their way to Spain, Canada, & Argentina! Oh boy!!! 

As with any international flight... It's always hurry up & wait. (We didn't appear to have a pilot!) But we were able to entertain ourselves with the inflight entertainment system. 

As you can see in the photo, we are still on the Tarmac (look out the porthole windows!) so the screens aren't showing any movies yet.... only the map of our location on the ground. However, a quick look through the menu showed that "Frozen" was an option, so my new friends & I agreed that this was a top rate airline. 

Finally, our pilot arrived. He was a very experienced flyboy; we had no turbulence & I swear the landing was sooo smooth, it was like we never left the ground! 

I'd like to say my stay in France was a slow lazy affair, but to be honest.... it only left me wanting to plan another visit soon. Before I knew it, I was back upstairs helping Olivia's class with their quilt squares project. 

Sadly, I have no pictures of the quilt squares. 

I blame it on the jet-lag....