KidsUp! - Day 2

Things went much better today. There are still a few kinks to work out but the kids are getting into the daily routine.

We have about 55 kids ranging in age from 6-12 (although we have few older ones who have younger siblings). They are divided into 6 manageable groups with one or two teachers per group. We are focusing on reading and math skills with a little computer skill building and a lot of field trips and recreation activities. We will be swimming twice a week, go on various field trips twice a week and go to the beach for a full day every other Friday.

We serve them two meals and a snack every day. Some of the menu items are quite different from food in the U.S. Yesterday we had grits and sausage for breakfast. The grits were nothing new but the sausage was really bologna which had been cut into small pieces and cooked with onions, green peppers and tomato paste. This same method of cooking is used for corned beef (which we had yesterday for lunch and is referred to as "Fire Engine") and tuna. This morning we had some really great oatmeal which was cooked then finished with sweetened condensed milk and was served with banana. Today for lunch was tuna salad sandwiches. So we are trying some new things. Both Emma and Mekayla liked the "sausage", minus the grits, and the "Fire Engine".

Things are off to a great start and will only get better from here. I have included a couple of pictures. One is of my group which I am teaching with my partner, Stephan (who is Jackie's brother and is in teacher training at the College of The Bahamas). The other is of the group that Mekayla and Emma are helping out with, this is the youngest, and biggest group.

Tomorrow my group goes on a field trip to The Bahamas National Trust. This is a nature conservancy with many endangered plants. I may have more information after I go tomorrow. Emma and Mekayla went today with their group and this was the report I got from them. I almost forgot, "watch out for the spiders, they are huge and they are everywhere."