Somehow, I don't care so much if she has to miss some other day this week (which she probably will) as long as it wasn't the first day to which she was counting down with a big paper chain all this month! We were able to do the traditional outside shot this morning (at least it's traditional for my family) before we left:
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| she's supposed to be in front of our little garden, but she kind of blocked the whole thing. Oh well. |
Then we all walked to the school together. The boys were excited too, they were even holding hands and giggling (and carrying our mail for the mailbox.)
We dropped off her backpack in class (all the students are actually provided a backpack already full of supplies, but I knew it was important to her to pick her own bag at the store) and we took a picture with her teacher before we went to breakfast. Yes Elora is tall for her age, but I think her teacher may be a little small for her age...hehe. Elora was feeling a little shy, and possibly a bit embarrassed that I was taking pictures, but that's what moms are for, right?
We were told we could eat breakfast with Elora in the cafeteria, and we saw other parents there too. Everyone in the school is given free breakfast and lunch every day, and when they have an after school program, they also get a free dinner! At the end of the school day, they are also provided a healthy snack to bring home with them on the bus or whatever. This is including the whole school, which is K-12. After hearing of all the school costs everyone else has to pay, we feel pretty lucky about that aspect of Reservation living.
Josh and Jonah were excited about the free breakfast too, even though we couldn't figure out a good way to eat the oranges that were served as halves. How is a five-year-old (or younger) supposed to eat that without making a huge mess? I ended up getting it all over myself trying to peel them for everyone else. But they were yummy!
After breakfast I made sure Elora washed her face in the bathroom (I really am worried about her walking around all day with food on her face and shirt) before we reintroduced her to her classroom. Now there were lots of other students there, and she got to sit down at an activity table with some other girls.
She was so excited to be with other kids, even though she's always shy at first. And she moves when I take her picture. We left shortly after that..I hope her school day is everything she is hoping it will be!
On our way home, I decided to take a few more pictures of an interesting building that's bothered me since we moved here last year. The year before we moved here, there was a big ice and hailstorm, which destroyed a bunch of property and knocked out all the power and water for several days. Several buildings had severe damage, especially to the windows. One of the school buildings which isn't used much still has all of the windows boarded up.
This particular building that I passed on the way home wasn't ever boarded up, and the windows are still open to the elements year round.
When you walk past it you can hear a cacophony of birds that have made their nests inside, and there are cats (and likely other animals) constantly coming in and out of the building. This wouldn't be that weird, if the building was empty. But it's not.
It appears this building was a storage space of some kind, full of everything from tables, chairs and desks to clothes, pianos, and lockers!
And they are all ruined and wasted.
It makes me sad every time I look inside, and maybe a little angry, because I'm sure many of those items (like the clothes) were donated by charities or other groups trying to help out an impoverished people.
But like much of the well-meaning charity and government money that is sent here, it went to waste.
But at least it's a comfortable bed for a kitty, right?
5 comments:
Wow, I can't believe they let all that stuff get ruined. That sucks. I'm glad Elora had a good day at school...how tall do you think her teacher is?
No idea...I'm not a good judge of height on others. Like 5" maybe?
Thanks for taking me on your adventure!
I hope you don't have to wait too much longer.... :)
My sister in law teaches 4th grade and often has students taller than her - she's barely 5 ft tall.
I'm glad Elora's day went well.
I hope you don't have to wait much longer too!
When I saw that piano I almost cried. And the bird poo, everywhere. But the photo of the kitty was comforting. It's amazing what happens to people sometimes. I hope Elora has a great school year. She's such a cutie.
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