As I have previously mentioned, we had our first staff meeting this morning. In my humble opinion, I thought it went quite well, but you would have to ask Betsy for certain. We were each given quaint little schedules and our daily responsibilities were made clear. Then when it was my turn, I made copies of my VBS lesson plans, craft ideas, etc. (which was nearly a hundred pages long, or so it felt) and passed them around, explaining my thoughts and asking for input. Everyone had questions and added commentary; both of which I found helpful. And Betsy, being the resourceful and ingenious person that she is, came up with tons of new and very creative ideas for crafts and games. We have decided that for the one day, we are going to find coconuts (which will not be at all difficult to do) and paint them to look like Puffer-Fish. How sweet is that?! The students will love them! I am delighted that she is a part of "my VBS team" and I am so blessed to have her as a friend/mentor. I greatly admire how she thinks outside of the box! I told her the other day that I came here so she could teach me how to use my head! And she is doing a wonderful job of it, too. I am quickly learning how to anticipate things before they happen and how to respond quickly when they do. I guess that's another life-skill I need to work on, huh? I have also learned in my six short days here, to expect the unexpected. Hmm, but think about that for a second: wouldn't expecting the unexpected, make the unexpected expected? Oh, I don't know...I am just learning to think on my feet!
We have assigned each person with a specific responsibility for the week of VBS. Each day, we will be responsible for teaching and overseeing our assigned duty. Betsy will be teaching the daily lessons and making up/telling stories, Laurie will be overseeing the games/activities, Rosa will be teaching the memory verses, Tess will be interpreting the songs, and I will be in charge of the crafts and snack time. And the other two staff members who will arrive later this week, will be filling in wherever they are needed. Although, I must say, I am quite impressed at how well we have everything covered. It has been such a great relief, to see that I have others who are so willing to help me plan and teach. And while there is still much planning, organizing and decorating to do yet--I am beyond excited for the students to arrive and for school to begin. (I know they are not nearly as thrilled as I am, but I am optimistic and hope they will enjoy it anyway!)
Also, tomorrow is Betsy's birthday and she has planned a special celebratory outing for us all in honor of her special day! The plans still seem slightly hazy to me, but at least I know to pack my swimsuit, sunblock, an extra change of clothes and a book. So by means of using my deductive reasoning, I have come to the conclusion that it somehow or another involves water. And while our destination is still rather unclear to me, I do know that we are leaving early in the morning and driving South for several hours until we reach a town that I seem to have forgotten the name of. (See, another prim example of my directional skills which are completely and totally nonexistent!) So boy am I glad that Betsy is driving and that she knows where she's going! Anyway, it should be fun and nothing short of an adventure! I am so excited! And I will let you know when we return, what all we did and where exactly we went!
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