{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"16148861","dateCreated":"1256883858","smartDate":"Oct 29, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"krada","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/krada","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/suinterns09.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/16148861"},"dateDigested":1532128361,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"NZ Schools!","description":"This week was my first week of school in New Zealand. I am placed in a year one class at Cockle Bay Primary School. My class is really complicated though. It is a mixture of a foundations and a year one class. I hope I get this right while trying to explain it. A foundations class is for students who are just starting school. In NZ, they enter school when they turn five, despite what time of year it is. This week we got three new students and the school year is almost over! The students enter my mentor\u2019s classroom and they stay with her to adjust to school then move onto another year one class whenever my mentor thinks they are ready to move on. There are seven other year one classes. My class has about thirty students (and more to come as they turn 5!) and the other year one classes have about eighteen students each. My class also has all the special needs students. It is a lot to adjust to!
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\nThe students are remarkable though. Even the ones who just entered school are very independent and knowledgeable. Some of these five year olds have better phonemic awareness than our first graders. Also, they write more in their journals. My class does a lot of group work since it is so large and the children, for the most part, work well together. The teachers have very high expectations of them. Sometimes they seem harsh, but I think that is what makes the students so independent.
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\nThe school itself is set up very different from American schools. The classrooms are separate buildings, like portables, but not as cheap. Then there are courtyards, a hall, an outdoor stage and a main office\/staff room. They have tons of playgrounds all over the school! All students have fitness everyday for 15-20 minutes. My class is currently training for a cross-country race. We also have morning tea from 10:40-11 am. All students go outside to run around and have a snack, while teachers go to the staff room for a snack and tea or coffee. Lunch is from 12:30-1:30, the students eat outside on the sidewalks (or footpaths as they are called here) then once they have eaten enough food (teachers walk around and give them the go ahead\u2026at least with year one students), they get to go play. School starts at 8:45 and ends at 3:00. I love this schedule, the students aren\u2019t pounded with instruction, they still get to be kids, and they are still seem to be more advanced than American students.
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\nEnough about the school...my homestay family is amazing!! A young couple with a five year old boy (who also happens to be in the class I am interning in). So far, Lindsay, Michelle and I have been to Australia! Sydney and Melbourne. It was absolutely unforgettable!! Tomorrow we are going to Waiheke Island and we are going on a vineyard tour! On Sunday, we are going into the city of Auckland to explore. We are doing both with the other American interns we met (two from Pennsylvania, one from Michigan). I'm loving it here!","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"15312316","dateCreated":"1255309438","smartDate":"Oct 11, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"ElizaCarey","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/ElizaCarey","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/suinterns09.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/15312316"},"dateDigested":1532128361,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Greetings from St. Croix!","description":"Greetings from St. Croix! Getting here was quite the hassle. Sunny and I had no problem getting to Puerto Rico from BWI, but getting to St. Croix from Puerto Rico was a different story. Because we were switching airlines, we had to claim our luggage and then re-check it. Because we are going away for so long, we both have A LOT of luggage (I'd say 250 pounds worth between the 2 of us... at least)! Getting it from one point to the other in the airport was a mess. I tried putting one piece on the escalator, but as I tried getting my other piece on the first piece kept falling over and sliding to the bottom and hitting me. People litterally shoved their faces up to the airport windows watching Sunny and I try to get around... I'm sure we were making a fool of ourselves! Once we finally were settled in and ready to board our next plane, it started pouring out of nowhere. The problem was, the plane to St. Croix was only a dinky little thing with 8 seats, and there is no way it could have traveled in that kind of weather. Because the plane was so small, we had to huddle underneath cover outside so we could walk to the plane when the rain calmed down. It took awhile, and eventually we were loaded into a van. Neither of us knew what was happening, and the people running the operation didn't speak English, so it almost felt like we were being taken hostage! Finally we were escorted to a tiny little island plane that reminded me of Jurassic Park, and our luggage was loaded into the wings (literally). Then they picked us out one-by-one to board. I was sacrificed first, and I got to sit in the co-pilot seat! It was scary, but really neat. I talked to the pilot, and got to watch everything he did. It made me a little queesey at first though, because I was surrounded by windows and all I could see was water. Thankfully we landed safe and sound in St. Croix, and we were greeted my the headmaster of our school and his family. They gave us beach bags, beach towels, key chains, hot sauce, and 8 different samples of cruzan rum! It was a very warm welcoming, and it felt so good to finally be landed. Our homestay mom met us a couple minutes later and welcomed us with smiles and hugs. She proceeded to show us to our new home for the next two and a half months. I could not believe my eyes! The house itself was paradise. It's a pink house on top of a tall hill, and you can see the whole island from it! There is a nice pool, a beautiful garden, and again the view is unbelievable. Sunny and I each have our own bedroom and bathroom, and from my bedroom I can see Christainsted, the Sea, and Buck Island, which is a famous little island with a national underwater park for snorkling and scuba diving. Words cannot begin to describe how beautiful this place is. Needless to say, it was a wonderful first impression. We're on an island for goodness sakes -- what could go wrong?!
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\nWell sadly to say, that was yesterday. And today was a different story. The island is still beautiful, but I'm not as crazy about being here as I was when I first stepped off the plane. The day started off nicely. Sunny and I had breakfast outside overlooking by the water. The sun was shining, and the humidity went down since yesterday. But then things turned for the worse. All Sunny and I have been talking about is going to the beach, so the first thing we wanted to do today was beach it up! Who could blame us?! So our homestay mom took us and her dogs to a secluded area on South Beach so she could take the dogs on a walk and we could swim. The beach itself was picture perfect. The water was clear blue, the sand was white, there were coconuts on the beach, and there were no signs of civilization. It looked like something you would see on a postcard; it looked perfect. Unfortunately, it wasn't. We left our purses in the car because we didn't want to leave them out in the open while we were swimming. We hid them under the car seats, and under a towel, so they were no where in sight. We locked the car and went on our merry way. We had a great time; We talked to some locals, played with the dogs, basked in the sun, and start our tans. When we got back to the car I went for my phone and it was gone. I thought it might have fallen out, so I asked Sunny to call it. Sunny went for her phone, and it was gone. Something seemed out of place, so she checked her wallet and her money was gone too. Confused, I checked my wallet, and my money was gone too. We couldn't figure out how stuff was missing; the car was locked the whole time. That's when we noticed the latch on one of the back windows was ripped off, and the window was hanging off. While we were on the beach, someone ripped the window off, snuck in, and took our stuff. Needless to say it hasn't been a good day since. I honestely could care less about the cash, but I am very upset about my iPhone. It was a very expensive phone, and it had a lot of music, pictures, passwords, and information on it. I'm not the happiest camper in the world right now. The worst part is, supposedly it's something that happens all the time here. Supposedly no one down here thinks it's a bad thing when you take something of someone else's; they kind of steal things as they please, and no one makes it a big deal. I wish someone had warned us previously, so we could have been prepared, and would have acted differently.
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\nSt. Croix is a lot different than I expected. It's going to take a lot more adjusting than I had planned for. Water is scarce (surprising, because we're on an island), so we can only take 5 minute showers, and we can only flush the toilet once a day. We have to throw toilet paper in the trashcan and not the toilet. We also have to collect water we use in buckets so we can reuse it, so there is a bucket in the shower and sink. There are also cockroaches in the house. There is no air conditioning and it is uncomfortably hot. And power is ridiculously expensive so we have to make a conscious effort to not leave anything on. It is very important we turn lights and fans off every time we leave the room. We also have to refrigerate everythinggg, including our cheerios. It's so hot here that as soon as anything is opened it goes stale within 10 minutes if it's not refrigerated. It's a totally different lifestyle down here. I'm not really sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. I'm trying not to be negative, but it's been a rough first day. I'm still upset about my phone, and I think it's making everything else seem worse. It's also frustrating because we still don't know how we're supposed to get around the island, including how we're getting to school every day. We're really at a loss; we feel like we don't know anything. Hopefully things will brighten up though. Right now we're sitting in the middle a storm... literally and figurativelly. It's pouring outside, but hopefully the soon will shine soon. I'm still really excited to be down here, I just didn't expect such a rough transition. I think right now everyone is treating us like stupid white tourists. We definitely stick out like a sore thumb, and it makes us vulnerable and uncomfortable. The place is beautiful, though, and that's something you can't deny.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"15340638","body":"Hey Eliza!! I'm sorry to hear about your phone good thing you have a computer though that will allow you contact to the states!! I love that you first letter was so funny about the airport and sitting passenger with the captain thats sooo cool!! I'm sorry things seem so gloomy for you its just the beginning and at least things can only get better from here! I asked a friend to give me some advice for going abroad (he went to Europe for a month over the summer) and he said that even though someone is being super nice to you still don't trust them...I mean go meet people and have fun but don't let your guard down ever because we are "stupid americans" so just think about that when you go out...I can't believe that about the stealing that is so crazy to think a culture doesn't frown upon that or at least just ignores it..weird..I'm glad you made it safe and at least you got some cool free gifts when you first got off the plane hahaha!! well its good to know you are alive and living in a house with a pool!! Hope to hear more soon and stay safe hun!
\n*Lindsay","dateCreated":"1255380385","smartDate":"Oct 12, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"LNibs08","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/LNibs08","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"15393638","body":"Thanks Linds! It's good to hear from you! I know things could be a lot worse, but I'm still really bummed about my phone. But I know things will get better. Good news is, our headmaster is trying to get our names on the insurance for the school's truck so we can use it while we're down here... so if that works out we'll be able to get out more and have a fun time! Are you in New Zealand yet? If not I hope you have a safe trip!","dateCreated":"1255474720","smartDate":"Oct 13, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"ElizaCarey","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/ElizaCarey","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"15428472","body":"Eliza,
\nYour story is very well written and funny, with the exception of the robbery, of course. Now that you have had a few days in the school, what do you think?
\nPaul","dateCreated":"1255538967","smartDate":"Oct 14, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"pgasior","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/pgasior","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"15198676","dateCreated":"1255021028","smartDate":"Oct 8, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"pgasior","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/pgasior","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/suinterns09.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/15198676"},"dateDigested":1532128361,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"first impression","description":"When I arrived it was in a large building with a high ceiling. I soon learned the natives called this an airport.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"15312262","body":"When I arrived on a small 10 passenger plane and saw the view of the entire beautiful island of St. Croix I was completely relaxed and ready for this experience to begin! Our plane landed smoothly and I felt we were off to a great start! Then as we stepped off the plane I was warned by a man who cautioned us to be aware of our surroundings as two young women! Also to not carry our purses with us.. and to be aware! I was upset when he said this and then thought well maybe we should give people the benefit of the doubt.
\nToday our first full day here we went to the beach with our homestay lady! We took her two dogs to a local beach so they could run and play. We went swimming as well and left our purses under the seats of her car. Big mistake.... her side window of her truck they had popped open and they took our money and cell phone. The car was locked and our homestay lady did not say anything about not leaving our purses there in the car. It has been a bit of a hard adjustment and I did not realize the cultural adjustments that we would need to make. I feel a bit like a target now and that local people do not like us, however our homestay lady told us afterwards that this is very common and it is something that happens to everyone around here. Also, that many times parents have their young children stealing for them. At this point in time I do not feel very safe or welcome. I hope that this all will change, but at this point my whole perception of the way of life in the islands is completely off. I hope that we enjoy our time at our school, however I feel just as unprepared and scared about this. Hopefully will have a more positive update!","dateCreated":"1255309321","smartDate":"Oct 11, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"sp08999","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/sp08999","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"15427418","body":"Sunny,
\nNow that you have had two days at the school are you feeling more comfortable?
\nPaul","dateCreated":"1255538172","smartDate":"Oct 14, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"pgasior","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/pgasior","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"15708164","body":"The school is incredible. I am very happy to be there, and very much enjoy the faculty and students. It is a completely different program and it has been a very smooth adjustment there. As for the island in general it is still a little bit intimidating, but becoming easier a little more each day. The teachers have been more than welcoming and we had the pleasure of going to different places with them over the weekend. We are still learning about how to manage successfully around the island. For example, to not carry much of anything on you when you go out of your home. It is a somewhat strange leaving the house without a purse or ID, but it seems to be the best way to avoid conflicts.
\nThe bugs are something else that is taking some getting used to, I just had a cock roach in my bedroom. It makes me nervous when I am about to go to bed.
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\nSo far this trip has been full of completely new experiences!","dateCreated":"1256097386","smartDate":"Oct 20, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"sp08999","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/sp08999","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"15787034","body":":)","dateCreated":"1256229949","smartDate":"Oct 22, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"pgasior","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/pgasior","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]}],"more":false},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}