The new school building rises majestically out of the brilliantly green paddy fields.
Smiling excited children greet us along with the teaching staff. Eventually I make my way to the Kindergarten where I will spend the next 12 days transforming the teaching and environment of “The Early Years”.
With all the ground floor classrooms finished this is the first time the Kindergarten children can enjoy the luxury of having a room all to themselves, a bright spacious, airy and clean room suitable for the needs of small children.
Squeals of delight and joy came from the children as I presented them with the new didactic materials.
They love the multi link cubes, construction and building blocks working happily with them with the concentration and interest we had hoped for.
Puzzles and colourful shapes of all kinds had entered their lives bringing animated life and pleasure.
Their absorbent minds soaked in everything; like little parrots they repeated spontaneously my phrases , “excuse me”, “do it again please”, “sit down”, “thank you”.
Introducing practical life exercises they had fun washing and drying their hands correctly before devouring warm milk and biscuits mid morning.
They ate carefully using a spoon for the first time at lunch time; after sleeping for an hour, followed by more interactive teaching, they ran, jumped and giggled their way to the rickshaw waiting to take them home after playing with balls and bean bags.
The kindergarten is transformed. The challenges were many, the satisfaction and joy priceless, the children delightful.
Frances Finch