THe swiNgiNg muNchKiN

Nothing feels better than an early morning swing on the lush green lawn.This is usually a time the early comers utilise to the maximum cos some kids dont show up till 9:00am.Its the principal's word to take them out every morning for atleast half an hour from 8:00am to 8:30am to limber up,have fun and catch some air.This is a very important activity in a child's life that should never be frowned upon.As for the boy up there,he's always punctual.This gives him all the time in the world to enjoy his joyful swing going back and forth until his head begins to spin.Yippeee!!!

CuRious GeoRGe

Wondering what he's listening to?Well,apparently its the clockwork inside the machinery of this Tommy toy car.This guy's one of the most curious kids i've ever set my peepers on.Even a kitten wouldnt challenge him in the game.Clever and cunning Akram is an adventurous little boy who sometimes finds himself under the table or at an extreme corner of the classroom without a clue on how in blazers he wound up there.Keep him within your reach and you'll get the maximum attention you're entitled to.Let him sit two steps away and he'll drift into oblivion.He enjoys self-company and is a very awesome actor.He's good at making voices and freeflow's a favorite for this little fella.

MaY 27Th,tHis oNe's foR tHe kiDs!

So today is Childrens Day,24 hours in honour of our ambitious young leaders of tomorrow.Am having quite a downer here cos it usually is a public holiday,but it'd have been so much fun if the school had planned something exciting for the kids to do today.Perhaps a safari,picnic,an outing to the amusement park,or a jaunt.Just a kind of adventure to remember whenever the bell of 27th May rings in their little heads.But i know a myriad of parents will let them have the time of their lives,so that makes up for everything.Speaking of that,since i dont have any toys to play with here,i think i'll just surround myself with things that helped me while away time during childhood.My favorite pastime of drawing cartoons,read a few comics,drown inside a MAD magazine and then post the lyrics to a song i composed at the beginning of this year entitled "CHiLdReN" dedicated to all the kids here in my schoolniversity.Though the children arent here today,i know they're attending my super awesome carnival in absentia here on this blog.Apparently a getaway they cant escape.This one's for you kiddies,you mean the world and everything to me.So to kids all over the globe,thank you for the ray of sunshine you've brought into my life and thank you for making planet earth a cheerful circle.And to my peer peeps,thanks a bunch for the golden memories.Happy Childrens Day! :) :)) :p :D

SpeciaL DeLiveRY

Mrs Constance,my predecessor,or should i say the lady am filling in for has given birth to a bouncing baby boy.So much joy prevailing in the atmosphere.Am so happy for her and hope she enjoys the next three months of her maternity leave before bouncing back again.Until then,i call the shots here :)

PRoposed GRaduaTioN pLaNs foR JusT 3's

In July,the Just 5's will be graduating and passing out of Playhouse for good.To enliven the ceremony,all the classes are expected to participate in something interesting which will entertain the parents,plus complement the occasion.So prior to the deadline,i conceived a genius idea.I just pray its not too advanced for the Just 3's.We are meant to present stuff relating to our class topics.For this reason,i thought the kids would enjoy a brief instrumental parade depicting animals under the sea as well as the polar region,followed by another one in jungle music for that topic representing the animals found there too.Finally,they'll all arrange themselves after the slideshow to sing and demonstrate a touching song i've suggested:"Good riddance(time of your life) by the famous punk rock band GReeN DaY.I highly look forward to putting up this show.Rehearsals commence on Monday.

ReceSs

Its been exactly one week since i've been gone from this zone and already it feels like forever.I had to attend to an imperative issue back at my department in school.But poor me,i was shot by a chronic flu and i've been having this hot pain in my chest.Though am slowly recuperating,but still on medication.I miss the kids,staff and most of all my daily routine.Thus,i havent found juicy stories to post here.A few people checked in on me including a concerned child and i appreciate all the courtesy calls.Hope to resume on Monday cos i cant wait to pick up where i left off!

Blogger Pictures

WoRLd CoLoRiNg DaY II

On Friday morning school resumed with everyone getting ready for the early weekly meeting.A lot of ideas were shared regarding the graduation ceremony coming up in July.During the meeting,Mr Karl mentioned that the kids should do their coloring considering they'd been looking forward to it since last week.My class was up for some fine hand print flag painting where every hand represented a country around the world.Three from each continent to fill the cardboard sheet.A few children were absent though due to the public announcement to mourn our late president for the next few days.It was tiring and time consuming,but fun for us all.Well done kids,World Coloring Day was a blast!

WoRLd CoLoRiNg DaY

Last Thursday was World Coloring Day and the kids were asked to show up at school with a pack of crayons for charity.This day was meant to be a work-free day for them filled with creative colorful presentations in different media o exhibit their artistry.I had the perfect idea in mind for the Just 3's,and couldnt wait to implement it.But sadly,the president passed away earlier that morning and it was declared a public holiday.Thus,no kid put in an appearance besides Memshima.All staff signed out after 10am,except Moustapha and me.The day was quite long,and there was a cool weather outside when i cosied up watching Gilmore Girls indoors.Moustapha was studying for his upcoming exams,so he didnt do much of the viewing.He left after 3pm and headed home.I rounded up at 5pm and called it a day!

CaNT sLeeP?couNT sHeeP!

Tibor and Fingul were having a hard time sleeping despite the sweet lullaby that was playing on the stereo.All the other kids were already sleeping like logs about a half hour after the lights were out.I had a few things to attend to but i couldnt due to the constant movement and distractions made by these tiny tots.They couldnt sleep and they wouldnt lie down quietly.

HoPscoTch

A new number was introduced to the children.It was the number 8 and i wanted it to sink into their brains as fast as possible.So i asked every child to take turns in jumping on the number frames from 1 to 8,and continuously jump on 8 at the end of the game.It was exciting for them,and i strongly believe that practicals make it easier for children to commit things to memory.

CLaSs cLocK

During circle time,i brought in a large blanket to spread on the floor and serve as a mat for the kids to sit on cos the floor seems to get cold sometimes due to the weather.My class has the largest number of children in the school so it was the only way i could have them all seated in an organized manner.Today,i grabbed an aerial view of the kids who were present during the lesson.It reminded me of a clock which represented the hours with children.

WeLcoMe bacK

Hamza had been in London throughout the holidays.Its been two school weeks since we resumed and he didnt show up until today when he surprised us all.He came with a cap.Perhaps to disguise himself so that he wouldnt be recognized easily.But as soon as he opened the door,we all shouted out his name and hugged him.He surely received a warm welcome from the children and staff.

AMeRicaN IdoL

Aarif is an early comer and this makes him dash to my class the moment he arrives considering only a few kids report to school before 8am and most of his friends dont show up till 9am.He came in and found me listening to Keane on the stereo,while having breakfast.He danced a little and asked me for the microphone.I knew i'd hidden it somewhere in the class cos it always becomes the cause for a quarrel or mishap.Luckily,i opened the second drawer on the cabinet and voila!There it was.Aarif had decided to stay with me when the other kids were out having fun.So this was reason enough to give him the mic and watch him perform the likes of Hanna Montana.

INFRa Red

Fingul,the red headed genius and Tibor the gentle blond were having a fun time during free flow cooking play dough food.They baked me cookies and prepared some hotdogs,plus shawarmas and pancakes.They seem to enjoy this corner of the classroom so much that they always try to beat others to it when the children are asked to pick corners.However,they're exact opposites.Tibor's quiet,a tad slow,and fancies solitary play.He loves trucks,building blocks and seldom looks for trouble and reports to me the second somebody pushes his buttons.Fin,on the other hand is an ambitious and creative wizkid who fancies dinosaurs and aliens.He's got a wild imagination,and a rude version which he plays on every new face to test his limits.But when i finally set my rules,do's and donts,this guy let down his guard and played the "you're the boss" card.Here,i gave these guys a quick snapshot with my view finder when they were playing in the dark.

THe pReTTY puRpLe peaRL pRiNceSs

This is Tasneem Kaloma.A small,sassy,handful that pushes me to the end of my tether and apologizes when the breaking point's close enough.She's a great actress whose voice is naturally amplified.She's the leader of the group STC in the Just 4's class,representing the "T" together with her girls Chloe and Salma.This group's tougher than it sounds.You may need a daily dose of aspirin when teaching these girls or you find yourself raising the white flag.But behind this cute little face lies a strong,smart and independent woman.

KaRL XY

The new school head teacher from the UK's one weird,funny and carefree dude.He's a workaholic who asks for a break every now and then.How unusual is that?Well,Mr Karl's actually a great guy.Its hard for us to see his red eye,let alone the kids.Somehow,i think he proves the age old British uptight and racist stereotype wrong,and that's what drew me closer to him.He's an explorer,a swimmer and an actor.He's only been to church five times in his life.He's also an artist,and loves rock music too!I've got a funny feeling that this guy was sent to me.Though we drag when i ask him for his i-pod cos its easier to have access to his room or wallet.The kids like him for his attitude and kindness cos they always get whatever they want,and get away with what they want.He's a great work of art,am really glad to know someone like him in this lifetime.

ANTaRTica

Yes,the class theme for this term is the polar region.Snowflakes and icicles hang from the ceiling,with snowballs and penguins all around the walls.With the air conditioning on,the class is aptly described.The kids enjoyed an experience at the freezer in the kitchen to get a demo of what the region is like.They touched the walls,felt ice cubes and toyed with rubber animals like penguins,polar bears,walruses,seals,snow owls,etc to facilitate learning.They held my hands tight to make me feel the frostbite.I shrieked as they laughed their asses off.I recommended two movies "Ice age" and "Happy feet" for us to watch this Friday.Apparently,its gonna be fun.

We aRe tHe movie

Every Friday at 5pm,the kids and i enjoy a riveting screen session at the TV room.I set the scene by shutting the blinds,turning the lights down low and getting every child quietly seated,waiting for me to press play.The film may be a disney or warner bros movie or a cartoon from the cassette rack.The tape usually runs for hours until the last child uses the exit.Its fun as am always surrounded by my friends A-5 (Adeel,Almustapha,Aarif,Adam,Akram)while watching.Its a brand new episode every week.This is surely a relaxing evening technique everybody should manage to adopt.

LiaR,LiaR paNTs oN fiRe

While arranging something at the reading corner,i perceived a strange smell behind me.Some of the kids were napping while others were just lying down and staring.I noticed Bee sitting on his mat feeling uncomfortable.Then Miss Carol stood up to help him change.That's when we found a pool of pee under his mat.He was nervous and didnt say a thing.He stood still staring into my eyes.I asked him why he did it and he replied "the A.C poured water on me,i didnt pee!"Quickly,i asked Carol to take him to the bathroom,have him cleaned up and changed.Its really funny how some kids apply creative ideas as excuses.This kid's one hell of a guy.Obviously,something was wrong at home:his mum had travelled and he was all out of his element.

HOoK,LiNe aNd siNKeR

Morning time's always fun for the kids in my class.There are a myriad of things to do in the numerous corners.Today,Fin,Yahya and Suleiman happened to find the pack of fishing toys kept at the bottom of the construction corner.They quietly pulled it out and put the pieces together to form a pond.Each person picked a rod,fastened his hook and was ready to fish with bated breath.I joined them in the game and had a good morning blast.

AaRiF's pLaY douGh caKe

I walked into the Just 4's classroom when the kids were having free flow.I went there to inquire from Miss Fatee about the afterschoolers' syllabus.Suddenly Aarif interrupted me holding up a cake he'd made with play dough poking holes to represent candles using cutters.Funny enough,he almost guessed my age right judging by the number of candles he'd put there. "Mr Ahmed" he said "here's a cake from me to you" i thanked him and saved the snapshot above.