More meetings are held today with the accreditation team at BISS. Judy is considered MYP (middle years program), and also PYP (primary years program). She gets to attend meetings for both levels. How fun!
She’s been busy getting ready for the holiday season. The choir at BISS is already scheduled for two performances at local hotels. They’ll be performing at a Rotary Club benefit at one site. At the other, they’ll be performing at a tree-lighting . She’s scrambling trying to find where to buy antlers and elf hats. She thinks she’s found a source, but until it arrives, you’re not really sure.
The school is decorated for Halloween, and the music classes are singing “Pumpkin” songs. Judy’s years of experience are really paying off. She’s got so many fun things to do with the students that none of them have ever seen before. Students and faculty are all humming and whistling the new stuff.
BHSFIC is gearing up for mid-term tests. It’s very serious for the students, and they are having problems staying awake in classes (not just my classes, according to the other teachers). Sunday is a make-up day from a holiday earlier in the semester, so testing will begin Sunday. It continues Monday and Tuesday. The students will meet regular classes on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, all the 11th graders will participate in a team-building activity on a “ropes-course” outside of Beijing. For me, I’ll only have one class next week, unless I decide to accompany the group on their trip.
My arrangement for the flute/sax quartet works pretty well. Now all I need is to arrange one more ensemble for my brass players and two left-over saxes.
Today’s “fun” is mostly associated with my travel. The trains are really something today. Twice, the trains just quit running and everyone stood patiently waiting for them to start up again. The first time I was on the platform, and the 2nd time, I was on the train. We were jammed like sardines, and must have waited 15 minutes before we moved. All you can do is look around and grin. You can’t move anywhere. I couldn’t even get off the train. Since the doors remained open, new passengers kept walking up and pushing their way on. The trains normally run every 3 minutes during “prime time”, so you can imagine how passengers were anxious to board. I was never so glad to see my station tonight. My McDonald’s ice cream tasted really good on the walk home from the station.