There are several items of note at BISS this week. Wednesday is “Parent Conference Day”. Students are dismissed at noon, and scheduled interviews are the afternoon activity. Because of the schedule shift, Judy’s elementary choir had to move rehearsal to today, prepping for Saturday’s concert. Today was their first time to use all the props (hats, shakers, jingle bells, etc.). It was a wild and crazy rehearsal. The excitement was just too much for some of the students. There are 36 kids in the choir committed to attend on Saturday. Judy received an email today from the event organizer telling her the stage was 2 meters by 3 meters (slightly larger than 6×9 feet). There going to be some creative adjustment of where all the kids are going to stand.
This is also the week when teachers have to inform BISS about their employment commitment for next year. Teachers who might be adjusting jobs or applying for internal moves to administration get the word about their placement. If a teacher chooses to leave, they do so without a job in their pocket. Most that are leaving are hoping to find a job in a different city, looking for new challenges and experiences. They’re just hoping a job is available in a city they want to live. If I were young teacher, with a family, it would be a terrifying circumstance.
I spend most of the morning and early afternoon watching the Texas State Marching Contest. It’s Tuesday morning here, but in Texas it’s Monday evening (14-hour difference now with DST). The contest is being streamed, and I get the chance to watch the 1A and 2A Finals. Forsan has a really good finals performance, and end up placing 2nd (darn), one point behind Shiner HS. It’s the first chance I’ve had to see my niece Ali performing with the band. I’ve got so much appreciation, specifically for Forsan, but also for the great performances by all the bands. I know how busy Ali is with her many school activities, and all those bands are full of students just like her. It’s amazing how they find the time to put together such good performances. My hat is off to all those students and their directors.
Needing exercise after all my sitting today, I take a walk to explore a nearby park. As I arrive, I notice some older guys (older than me) walking out with bags on their shoulders, carrying folding chairs. I couldn’t really figure out what they were carrying, but I thought they might be musical instruments. When I got further inside the park, I realized they were carrying kites and reels. Several guys were flying kites inside. I’ve seen kites before, but I’ve never seen string reels like these. Check out the picture below. The park itself was huge, and would probably be a “happening “ place during the summer. It looks like they’re beginning to prepare for winter. The fountains are all turned off, and the waterways are draining.
Check out the string reel in his left hand.
For dinner tonight, we have our “100 day” celebration with the other new BISS teachers and their families. We meet at the “Duck” restaurant, as we call it, where we had our first big welcome dinner when we first arrived in Beijing. It’s a fun time. I haven’t seen some of these people since our first week, so it’s a nice reunion.