5.+Journals

JOURNAL ENTRIES

JOURNAL #1
====Today was the first day of class back from summer. Not only were all the volunteers happy to see the girls, but the girls burst through the door ready to go. As Nourhan, Noura, Nadia, Omneya, Fayrous, Hoda, Khouloud and Nahed raced to the front of the class to sit in the front row seat, i knew this was going to be yet another fun year. I couldn't help but notice all the smiles on the girls faces so we started to talk about our summer holidays. They joked, and laughed about how they stayed up late at night, ate lots of food, played games, watched TV and they described their trip to Sokhna. I couldn't help but think of how all of these activities were so simple but made them so happy. I sighed a sigh of appreciation and we began the lesson. Today i worked with Nadia and Nourhan and as usual, they each competed to read the passages. After we finished reading the passages, we worked on the reading comprehension, a bit of writing and then some basic addition. I could tell that the girls didn't sleep well that night because Nadia couldn't stop yawning! However, that didn't stop them from crazily running around the MS field during break. Since Leena, Lily, Angie, Camilla, and Hussein were new to the group, we played a few get to know you games. As always, it was hilarious hearing the girls try to pronounce their names. After we were done with class, we cleaned up, gave hugs/high fives and walked them to the front gate. They said their final 'ma3asalama' and got on their bus. ====

JOURNAL #2
====Today we took the girls to the CAC International Fair. Before we went, Rosie and I talked to them a bit about the countries and the fair in general. They were excited to see all the colors, balloons, different costumes, bouncy castle, bungee jump and all the other attractions. We had a few concerns because the fair was very crowded and the girls were quite excited so we decided to split up into groups. I was in charge of Noura and Fayrouz, Rosie was in charge of Nadia and Omneya, Maria was in charge of Hoda and Kholoud and Justine and Angie were leading Nahed and Nourhan. Mrs. Cowper was so kind to give us each 5 tickets and we started off at England. As we were going through all the booths, it was funny seeing the girls react to the exotic food. I was really happy to see them all stamping their passports and asking questions about all the countries. There are performances during the fair so we took a break and watched the fashion show and the sudanese dance. Today we taught the girls about the diverse community around us and the world that we live in. When it was time to go, they were all really happy and smiling. Nadia looked up at me and said "Dalia i want to go to 'merica' (America) one day!" then all the girls yelled "me too me too!" Hopefully, one day they all will get to experience traveling the world. ====

JOURNAL #3
====Today I prepared the lesson for the class. We reminded each of them that method and they started drawing, with our assistance. It took time for them to focus though, not all of them were cooperating. Also, they got distracted very quickly which was a challenge for us. However, by the end of our stay, we managed to have them draw. There were colors on each page and fortunately a lot of light and bright ones. The children were smiling, and so were we. That is the best part about this project. We make them happy. Even if our goals are progressing slowly, it doesn’t matter because at least there is progress. At least we are making a difference and improving the quality of the service. We understand that it takes time to reach the goals we set, which is why we are being very patient. We also understand that in order for the girls to gain the greatest experience out of the lessons, we need to tutor the classes to fit their learning styles. Not everyone learns at the same place and not everyone is the same type of learner. In the future, we plan to prepare lessons that are more balanced. The lessons now incorporate more visual and auditory aspects so the girls would hear what we are saying and understand it. I can see a lot of progress with the girls. I remember the first couple of months last year i didn't think i could have a conversation with the girls. It was almost like they resisted and avoided speaking to me in English because they know i speak arabic. However, now they answer me in arabic and read almost fluently. ====

JOURNAL #4
====Today was the last class before summer starts. The girls have already started their summer vacation which is why they were late today. We usually start class at 10 but they were almost 45 minutes late. Last year, we set up a diner setting where all the volunteers brought in baked goods and then we gave the girls monopoly money and we played the game. Last year i baked red velvet cupcakes with nutella frosting, but this year i decided to bake some strawberry cupcakes with vanilla frosting. Since we are teaching them more about countries around the world, i prepared a short powerpoint about the USA. As i was going through the powerpoint, i was pleased to see the girls paying attention and interested. I then presented a powerpoint Rosie made about different countries in the world. We then passed out maps to each girl and they had to decorate them with stamps, colors, stickers, and glitter. They were each so creative in their maps and every girl took a different approach. I can't wait to work with the girls again next year. Through my experience in this year with the service learning class, i have learned so much. I have seen and experienced things that i appreciated much more now, and the places we visited show me how lucky i am. More importantly, it showed me how a small step can have such a big impact. I think the service learning class is one of the most important classes in the HS and i plan on working with Mrs. Macaninch to make sure it upholds it's importance. ====