September 2022

 English Class - Level 1 

We have come to an understanding that with a group of 19 kids, we may never have a perfect picture!  As the school year was getting started, I sent out registration for my English Classes and was surprised at how quickly it filled!  It seemed even after I labeled the class as "full" parents still called and registered their children in hopes that a space would open up.  I added a second translator to the class and finally capped it at 19 students.  (Although there is still a handful of kids hoping to join!) Though the class is large, all the kids are so kind, giggly, and great listeners!  We are getting quite good at taking turns, encouraging friends, and listening.  I make it a point to give each child a "solo moment" during the lesson where they get to be the center of my attention.  I love getting to know their personalities more and am looking forward to the rest of the year with this group.

We started our theme "At the Park" and have been learning all about playground equipment, picnics, and treehouses.  One mom told me, "They are learning things they wouldn't learn in school... and that is great! These are words they use at their age and can use now when we are outside.  Last week, [name] used 'slide' when we were at the park!"  Our starting "calendar time" has more of our traditional vocabulary (weather, counting, days of the week, greetings), but it is so fun our activity time shares more usable vocabulary with this group! 

Slapping the ants at our picnic with flyswatters and saying the vocabulary word.

This year, I have a handful of students in my first class who were in my Little Linguists group four years ago!  It is so fun to see the connections that remained with these kids and their families.  The best part is that this group of kids already knew me and didn't feel "new" to the class, and I already know most of their names.  So, the transition to the new year was quite easy for us all.

(1) giving playground instructions to a partner. (2) jumping up high to land in the treehouse!

English Class - Level 2

My Second Level Class is an even dozen.  A couple of the students joined a week or two later, but they were welcomed into the class with such openness that I would have thought the kids were already long-time friends!  This group is talented to say the least.  My translator in this class says she enjoys the breaks as the students want to try to translate for themselves and are very quick to understand new vocabulary.

We are in a theme about Autumn.  I decided this year to sort my lessons for the older class into the four seasons and split our themes throughout the four.  That way, we don't study "sports" for four weeks straight, but are now studying "autumn sports" for just one week and will have "winter sports" seven lessons later.  The kids seem to already like this division, and it makes the lessons more applicable in the moment.  We have already looked at Autumn weather, clothing, sports, harvesting vegetables, and describing a family outing - searching for mushrooms (a very common Czech autumn activity).  

Guessing Sports

A GoFish-like game, but harvesting vegetables from the garden.

English Class - Homeschool Group

This year, I added one more English Class - a Morning Homeschool Group!  These seven kids do homeschool group together.  Since they are older, their parents asked if I could teach one more class for them each week so they will be able to meet English learning criteria that their peers learn in public schools.  Since the group is all between 5th and 7th grade, I have 6th grade English Standards from one mom, and we agreed to focus on those for now.

Since the group of seven are familiar with being together, it is often like seven siblings!  It is really fun seeing them work together, joke around, and compete with each other too.  We are also enjoying the smaller group for outside mini-trips when the weather is nice.  

 

(1) visiting "planets" by counting steps around the city and using different tenses to explain where we are, where we were, and where we will go. (2) learning to navigate with basic directions

Collecting treasure while using directions

Little Linguists

My littlest learners are back in motion too!  We started a couple weeks later than the Student English Classes because the Mother's Center waits until all the older kids are all situated in school before beginning programs for the toddlers.  We've had two lessons: "At the Zoo" and "In Space."  I love watching the kids explore their world and creating a place for them to learn and experience so many things! 

In our theme about the Zoo, we went all out with Animal Masks, binoculars, and lots of animal toys and cards!  The kids loved sorting the animals by patterns and really liked making animal binoculars to look for the animals in the classroom - even spotting some birds flying outside the classroom!  One Little even declared "Walrus!" in English when picking an animal flashcard.  We were all amazed as the Little's mom doesn't know where he learned the word, though these clever kids soak in so much of language, it is fun to watch them show off their skill.

  

Our Outer Space theme was complete with an "observatory" that I had decorated with loops of glow-sticks that are only visible when inside the observatory.  There were flashlights, falling stars, and planet bouncy balls that they loved shining the flashlights into to make the galaxy light up!  The moms have started telling me they may be even more excited than the toddlers for Little Linguists each week!  Their excitement and the Littles' energy is a perfect combination for a really fun class.  I love setting up these lessons each week.  

 

Kid's Club - Letovice

With school back in motion, Kid's Clubs have also started.  We are back in three locations this year and the kids are getting back into the swing of activities.  In Letovice, we have been playing many table games, lots of time at the new Billiards Pool Table, and different art projects.  The art projects that the kids have been asking for most recently is what they call "Diamond Stickers" - kind of like a paint-by-number but with little gem stickers.  Even the boys are getting into it!  One of the 16-year-olds said, "I'm going to put this shark one on my motorcycle!  Oh, yeah, definitely need the fish then too."  Many of the kids who come to club are in a stressful school year - starting new high schools, first year in a new class (Czechs do looping classes 1-5th, so 6th graders have new classmates they might not know well), last year before high school, and even Ukrainian students who have only lived here for seven months and are still making friends.  I am glad Clubs can provide a place for all these kids to come and be welcomed.  Where they can just take a break from all that is going on and play some games together. 

This is a new favorite game at Club!

 

(1) I've decided all these kids can be future doctors because they have very steady hands from all the Jenga playing! (2) looking for rainbows at club! 

Kid's Club - Boskovice 

The couple times I've been in Boskovice this month, we have spent a lot of time just sitting around and chatting with the older kids.  We were able to challenge some to games of Ping-Pong and Foosball.  In one occasion, two boys and girl said they'd play foosball with me.  I suggested we'd play girls against boys and the boys were teasing us before the game saying they will have to play easy because we are girls and they would feel bad to win by so much... well, these boys had a huge humbling lesson at club!

We moved club outside one week when the weather was nice.  It's so fun to watch the younger boys do tricks on their scooters and bikes.  They encourage each other and show their new skills.  I love when they say "Kendra, can you record this jump?  Watch what I can do!"

Youth Group

Since many of our half-leaders are at boarding high schools this year, Fridays have become special times when we can all be together again!  These youth come home from school on Friday, drop off their things at home, say hi to mom and dad, and then come to youth group to see all their buddies.  We were used to seeing each other 3-4 times a week last year, so I am glad they are making youth group a priority so we can still see each other.  

We are in a theme titled "Who is Jesus?" with the youth.  We have already looked at Jesus as a carpenter and a teacher.  One youth leader also shared his testimony with the youth students for one lesson.  The kids were so engaged in the testimony that the speaker went for 45 minutes about his transformation to Christ and all he is continuing to learn after making that decision.  It was great the students had an opportunity to hear his story in such detail.  

When the American is in charge of dinner - PB&Js!

Over the summer, the students got to know the Americans at LetFest and were really encouraged in their faith.  One American suggested we start a Bible Study group online called Student Link to connect with a group of the girls each week and encourage them in their faith journey.  It has been a great start and the girls are really excited about the time together.  I loved this past month how many questions it raised with one one of the girls as she read scripture and thought about world situations.  She is understanding that the world may say one thing, but God is saying another.  It is really an encouragement to all of us who are watching these ladies grow their hearts deeper for God and for sharing His love with others. 

Weekend Experiences

I love to get outside on weekends when I can, and I really enjoy early autumn weather.  Some friends and I went river rafting a few weekends ago.  It's open for one day of rafting and kayaking as they open a nearby reservoir and bring the river up to a level for the boaters.  It was a fun time together, ducking under trees, getting splashed by water, and weaving down the river.  

(1) This was the calmest and widest part of the river when we could rest our paddles and snap a picture. (2) Part of our group of 6. 

Also enjoyed a biking trip a few days back and went up to see an incredible view!

Since I had gotten pretty sick over the summer, I couldn't visit some friends as I had originally planned.  I finally visited some friends I hadn't seen since before Covid this month.  We were able to pick-up right where we left off, and we were all very glad we hadn't lost touch over the past two years.  The weekend was filled with board games, spontaneous worship sessions, and hiking in the mountains.  It was really refreshing, and I enjoyed making new friends who had joined the youth group in the past two years too.