Partnering During A Pandemic: Back to School!

The start of the 2021 school year was delayed by a few weeks, but classes are now in session.  Kids are getting up early, doing their chores, pulling out their backpacks, organizing their supplies, and getting to work.

Photo submitted by student's family on Feb 9

The morning routine does not include a bus ride.  The morning routine does include a walk to the corner store to pay for another week of data on a cell phone.

Photo submitted by student's family on Feb 9

The morning routine does not include ironing a school uniform and shining a pair of black school shoes.  The morning routine does include helping little siblings to get settled, clearing the table and making sure the internet connection is working.

Photo submitted by students' family on Feb 9

The Ministry of Education suggests students sign into their online classes 15 minutes before the start time, to make sure everything is working correctly. 

Photo submitted by the student's family on Feb 9

Over the course of the school day, mothers and grandmothers work hard to keep their students on task.  Parents of young children have had to become the primary teachers for their kids.  Older students squeeze in time between their own classes to assist younger students and each other.  Some households have combined efforts, creating mini-schools with cousins and neighbors.  This allows for near-age peers to help each other and for parents to take turns with the teaching responsibilities.  Adults can also help out in the areas of coursework with which they have the most knowledge and capability.

Photo submitted by students' family on Feb 9

As is true around the world, mothers are bearing the greatest burden of work and worry when it comes to balancing management of the home, being a full-time teacher, and earning enough income to put bread on the table.  Food insecurity is a persistent worry for struggling families.  Children usually receive a basic "snack" of beans or rice when they attend school in person. With all the kids at home all day, the persistent "I'm hungry!" cry wears on the mothers, especially if there is nothing to eat.  Finding funds to pay for the internet is only helpful if families have enough income to pay the electricity bill - another worry. 

As I have mentioned in previous stories, support for student study  with gifts directed toward supplies or scholarships is vital despite the fact that students are not personally traveling to school.  Students are learning, and were required to pass exams and meet all of the work requirements from 2020 in order to begin the 2021 school year.  One thing we did in our community was to provide for the printing of teacher guides and worksheets for the students who do not have the capacity to print these items on their own.  

The first day of school is always special for the little ones.  Hats off to the moms who made a big effort to celebrate that milestone with their kids, whether school happened in their kitchens or on their porches.

Welcome to the 2021 school year
Photo submitted by the student's family on Feb 9

Today we start our adventure and we are having fun!
We play, we sing, we read and we learn many interesting things.
Together we make a great team to achieve our goal!

The Magic Words taped up on the door
Good morning, good afternoon, thank you, with permission,
enjoy your meal, excuse me, please

Good job making that raccoon, little buddy!

If you are connected with Salvadoran elementary, middle or high school students and their families, send them a word of encouragement as they begin a new year of study at home.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Plant that Came from Nowhere and Grows Everywhere

Image
I am a plant person - a plant person without a garden or a yard or a farm. We have porches.  Porch Pot (©Linda Muth, 2023) It's pretty amazing to see what will grow on a porch.  I like to experiment with what might be considered garbage from things I get at the grocery store. Most Salvadoran produce is not hybrid, so saved seeds will germinate. Herbs are sold with the roots, so it sometimes works to cut off most of the herbs and stick the roots into a pot. I am currently experimenting with some little chunks of ginger that were no longer edible.  After a couple of weeks in the soil, the roots are sprouting nice little stalks and leaves. Ginger sprouting (©Linda Muth, 2023) Frequent travel makes porch gardening extra challenging. One option is to grow for a while and then give plants away.  One time, I left a bucket of basil, rosemary and other herbs with Pastor Santiago's mom, and it produced abundantly until Santiago cut off too much. (He told me he was grateful for...
Read more

The Morro Tree

Image
Cihuatán is an archeological site which lies just north of Aguilares. Amidst the Mayan ruins, which are definitely worth seeing, you will also find some of the local flora and fauna of the area. This area north of Guazapa has become cattle country, and, according to the locals, some of the wealthy cattle producers have their eye on this property. The security guards and barbed wire fences do a pretty good job of keeping cows off of the site, but nothing can keep the goats from enjoying a good run in the field. The wide variety of bird calls, the tinkling of the goat bells, and the low moos in the distance create a peaceful atmosphere in which to enjoy the ruins and have a relaxing, yet very hot, walk with friends. Surrounding the large hill which was constructed to support the main temple, there is a broad, grassy field, dotted with trees. Pablo, our driver and friend, said that during the war, there was a lot of looting of this site. People drove big trucks in to take the rocks ...
Read more

The Legend of the Priest with no Head

Image
Tales of mysterious encounters with a headless priest in the dark of night are not uncommonly told among the Salvadoran people.  After the time of the Spanish invasion, when conquerors wielding swords or carrying Bibles established their power, there emerged a legend of an imaginary priest who wanders in the streets and pathways as a lost soul. He appears to those who are out walking in the evening. He is searching for his head.  He, or perhaps his head, lets out screams into the night. Those who see him feel cold and are sometimes paralyzed with fear and cannot speak for days. The story of the Priest with no Head is well-known and frequently told in Tonacatepeque.  Some say the ghost of El Padre sin Cabeza (the headless priest) is real. Some say the story was invented by the church in order to scare indigenous people into becoming Christians. Some who study traditional, Salvadoran tales say this legend was created by enemies of the church.   A painting of ...
Read more