Let's Get Physical...

This week I started an After school Exercise Program for Teenage Girls at my school. The idea came to me this summer when I was sick of stagnation and wanted to exercise, but not by myself. It seems that the teenage girls in my school do not exercise, beyond the walking to the store or participating in gym class. They are also not educated in health issues pertaining to being with a female, and even a human. So my goal was to start an exercise program for them, encouraging physical fitness and educating them on health issues that they are unaware of. So it begins…
I wrote posters, only to change the time and days of the exercise, so they did not go up. I informed my students during class. I decided on two days a week, Monday and Wednesday. It seems that I am out of my site a lot of Fridays or there are assemblies/concerts on Fridays which would conflict so I only proposed two days. If, in the future, it is popular then I will try to extend to three days, when possible. Mondays are Tae Bo days and Wednesdays are Yoga days. Both have music appropriate to each activity. I am lucky to have a great Psychology/English teacher at my school this year, and she has helped assist me in getting my project up and running and in participating.
Monday. The exercises didn’t start until after 3. I had planned on 2.30-2.45. It is ok, I had four girls and Inga (fellow teacher). Everyone seemed to get the hang of the kick punch combinations I was throwing there way and enjoyed my butchering of Romanian as I tried to speak and do simultaneously.
Wednesday. Exercises started at 3. I had said 2.45. Four girls came and Inga. It was soothing and calming. Yoga is a good thing to do during the middle of the week when we are all stressed and tired. I played music from the Ultra Chilled CD collection, which I happen to love, so it was fun for me. It was funny trying to explain the breath in for four counts, hold for four counts, and exhale for four counts. I am not totally sure of the verb “to breath in/to breath out” so I kind of mumbled something close to it and hoped they followed.
Overall, the first week was a success. Things didn’t start on time and we were waiting for other girls but we did start. I am excited to see my students participate in something that I planned and was passionate about. It makes me feel good to know that I have implemented something that has an interest within my school and is beneficial. Some of the girls even asked why we weren’t having exercises on Friday. Two girls in my 12th grade, when I informed them of the Yoga classes, immediately flipped open their cell phones and set an alarm to remind them. They are really excited to learn Yoga and even Tae Bo.
If you stumble open Yoga mats, water bottles, or anything else exercise related, please send them my way. The girls in my school would love to use anything you send. Any health information (pamphlets, or simply e-mails with facts) would definitely be appreciated. The girls here need to know about specifics about their bodies and ways they can stay healthy and prevent illness. Wish me luck on week 2!

Febreeze, Sharpies, Jiffy Pop

Enough said.

The Freshest Bologni

Truths (as told to me by my host grandmother):

-Fruits make you fat
-If you eat prunes you will be fat
-My host mom is fat because she drinks too much water
-If you eat tea and prunes everyday, you will be fat
-Bread and Wine will make you skinny (she didn't really say this, just thought it would be funny)

Additions to my Wish List

Crunchy Peanut Butter
Tazo Tea - the Green Tea Zen kind
More beads (like the ones you bought Jen...they are great!)
Toe Socks (they are great to wear with flip flops when it is semi-cold outside)

That is all for now! :)

My last first day of school

The first day of school was Friday. The kids have been coming to school since Wednesday to clean the classrooms and the outside. We have people who work at our school cleaning it, so I am not sure why the children come to do their job.
The first day started with a ceremony that began at 7.30am. The priest from the big church came and sang/said prayers for the beginning of school. This was a special ceremony and first day, as the minister of education from Ungheni came, the mayor and other big people in education to view our school and help celebrate. A group of children performed a traditional Moldovan dance, complete with traditional clothes and the new first graders were paraded around ringing the first bell to start their education.
Of course, I received many flowers and wishes for a great school year. I was lucky in that I had no classes scheduled for Friday. I simply arrived at school, late for the ceremony, received flowers, and sat down to a masa. I was back home at 11.30 with a buzz and went to bed for a bit.
So really Monday is my first day of school. I am excited because this year there is a new English teacher. She will be the school counselor and teach a few Englishes classes until my counterpart goes on maternity leave and she will take over for the other classes. She just graduated college and is excited to teach and is looking for me to help her and collaberate with her. We will have a great time and have some interesting classes because of it.
I have a pen pal, finally after waiting a year. It is a school in NE Georgia with a woman who teaches Elementary school students. Not only has she adopted my classes, but the entire school. They have included information about Moldova in a special section in the library, with maps and such, and are planning on purchasing books about Moldova to have in their library. What a great chance for young children to learn about a different culture and for my students to learn more about America, the schools, the culture, and practice their English. So three cheers for the beginning of a great school year!
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