Return to Normalcy??

As I sit here outside on the balcony sipping a cappuccino and watching the sun set, after a beautiful day, a thought crossed my mind.  “Is it possible that normalcy will return to the Bishop household??”  With the Canadian Koshk (the school store that is run by Hubby) now officially open, and, with only 2 weeks left on the MUN calendar for the year, it seems that things are indeed returning to normal.

Today was the pinnacle of business for us.  In the morning, the Grade 9-12 students that have been involved with MUN since the beginning of the year hosted a Mock debate for the Grade 7/8 students that will be participating in their first debate next week.  The debate went on without a hitch and was an excellent teaching tool for the younger students.  

There was an identifiable energy amongst the Grade 7/8 students as they eagerly asked questions about the debate format and process.  The vibe echoed throughout the school as students in Grade 9 and 10 asked when they can go to an MUN debate.  The program is growing quickly and I can only attribute that to the hours of effort and work my established MUNer’s have.  It is truly remarkable to see how much the program has grown.  

In the afternoon, Hubby had the ribbon cutting for the school store.  A year of planning and 2 weeks of a “soft launch”, the store officially opened with special promotions and an opportunity for parents to come in and see the store.  The launch was a huge success and many people happily departed with their stationary needs met.  The big seller were the Green Heritage coffee mugs.  Who knew?  The Business Education students were all dressed up and ready to greet the incoming guests to the store and, with refreshments available, guests were socializing as they milled about the store.   The store at the school has become a great learning opportunity for the students in the Business classes as they help run the store to varying degrees.  They are the “employees” and are expected to take in the money, make change and help the customers find everything they need.  A real hands on experience that takes what they learn in class to a real situation.

The life of a teacher is a never ending adventure.  It is an adventure that we are happy to take, especially as we have the ability to impact the lives of the students with such amazing hands on opportunities.   Both the store and MUN are unique changes to interact and work in unique situations that many schools cannot offer.  It truly is a blessing to be a part of such an integral part of the learning experience these students are having. 

With that said, I must return to one of my integral roles in the house...I have to fix a bike.  I am actually getting very good at repairing the chain on the bikes here.  They pop off a little too easily for my liking, but, living in a part of the world where the kids can ride bikes all year round, it is also a frequent part of my week.  By the end of this school year perhaps I will be a bike mechanic on the side.

Intro on what to expect at the Mock MUN.

Getting ready for debate!

The Canadian Koshk is officially open!

Busy as a Bee

Well, my last post was titled, The Winds of Change.  This title was more appropriate than originally expected.  Both Hubby and I have been incredibly busy with our teaching assignments and our self-inflicted huge projects that are finally coming to fruition.

About a year and a half ago, Hubby thought it would be a great idea to start a school store that would be made by the students and run for the students.  He bounced the idea around with his friends and colleagues, and eventually, he met with administrators and the finally the directors.  Everyone loved his idea and he has been feverishly putting together all the details for the store ever since.  The store has been running as a soft launch for the past couple weeks and has been remarkably successful.  I feel like we spend a lot of time looking at stationery because he has been having difficulty keeping the store full as students come to purchase the items they need to get through their days.  As I sit here at the computer, there are boxes of notebooks, and bags of staplers, sticky notes and writing implements.  The official launch of the store is this Wednesday.  It has been an exciting time for him, his Business Education students and the school as a whole. 

As for me, I have been in the midst of eagerly planning and preparing students for a variety of MUN conferences.  I spent Thursday night and all day Friday at a conference with students and the conference continues until Sunday evening.  It is so much fun watching the students use all their research in such a meaningful way as they debate with students from around Cairo.  My huge undertaking at school has involved growing the MUN program at the school.  In the next three weeks, I will be hosting an internal MUN conference with all the students in Grade 7 and 8.  We will see how the weeks progress as these students prepare.  I have been very impressed by the preparations that have taken place so far.

Dimples and Princess continue to amaze me.  They are truly phenomenal young children.  Princess is learning so quickly and Dimples is a very interactive little boy.  They have been busy at home and school.  They enjoy being around each other, playing together and riding their bikes outside. 

So, while this is not the most exciting post, it is an indication as to why I have not written much lately.  Our lives are pretty low key right now as we go to school and come home to recharge.  Once the store is officially open and all the "bugs" are worked out, and, when all the MUN conferences are finished in mid-March, then, we can unwind and relax.

The kids love playing on the deck and pretending to "fix" their bikes and scooters.

Hubby getting set for the school store.

Bulletin Board advertising the school store.  The store is called, The Canadian Koshk. 

 

 

 

 

 

We are excited about an upcoming trip to Luxor.  We have yet to head down to this area of Egypt and are excited to look around some very unique landmarks.