There is a tiny little mosquito here called the Aedes Mosquito…just a little pip-squeak, with little white spots, but they can carry the tropical disease dengue fever. Most people here go their entire lives and never contract dengue, but if you are unlucky, like three of our faculty were this fall, it is not a fun time.
When you are infected with dengue, the first symptom is usually a horrendous headache right behind the eyes and an accompanying high fever…commonly around 103-104. Next comes the muscle and skeletal aches….dengue is also known as The Breakbone Fever…it hurts that bad. And you’re not done yet…get ready for a measles-like rash over most of your body and a lowering of your platelets in your blood. This goes on for about a week. Your platelet level must be carefully watched…often the level gets so low that fluid leaking occurs. When these symptoms come on, it is best to check into the nearest hospital. There is no commercially available vaccine for dengue. The good thing about dengue….my teachers say it is a great way to lose weight!!!! Gotta be a silver lining to everything.
At school we do a daily check of our grounds to make sure we have no standing water where mosquitos can breed. We keep fish in all our ponds to eat any larvae, and we fog the area on a regular basis. This keeps the mosquitos at bay. I seriously doubt our faculty contracted dengue at school, but rather in some area they visited. Our kids are outside a lot more than the teachers and no instances. Now that I have scared you, no one will want to visit us. Really…there is not a high chance of getting dengue here…so please do not cancel your flights!!!!
The semester came to an end. Where does the time go???? At our end of semester assembly, we said goodbye to all the kids leaving. We have about 35 leaving and will have 50+ arrive new in January. It is always a bit sad to say goodbye…lots of tears shed on this day. I chose not to read the Polar Express this year and instead did a great book, BEAR STAYS UP. The Red Hats introduce me, the lights are turned down, the pictures were projected onto our big screen, two red hats helped me…one held the torch (flashlight), the other turned the pages. It is sooo much fun. We also did a great rendition of The Night Before Christmas – Melawati Style, written by one of our fifth grade teachers…the teachers came up on stage and we acted out the parts…kids were just howling, it was so funny. The assembly ended with a surprise…seems my assistant principal has a wicked sense of humor…she put together one of those Jib Jab cards…The Macareindeer. That one put a smile on everyone’s face. A nice way to end the semester.
As soon as the kids were gone, the faculty make a bee-line to the airport…..Where are you going you ask???…..in reply you hear….Bali, Nepal, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, diving off Ambon Island, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa….some will say they are going home, many off to the states..including my wife!!! Heidi jetted off Saturday morning…she is so excited to see everyone and to hug the kids, grandkids, and family and to see our friends. I miss her dearly…our first Christmas ever apart, but so glad she got to come home.
Right after Christmas I do plan on taking three days to go to Bali so see the rice terraces and the art in Ubud. I’ll take pictures and post. The rest of the time I will be getting ready for the Bangkok Fair…our first BIG recruiting fair.
Hiring in an International School is a HUGE undertaking. It begins in October when we have “early tell” Teachers let us know if they are returning or not. Once we know this we make internal moves and then post positions. In December, everyone must sign contracts or let us know if they won’t be returning. Now we have all our positions. During October, November and December we are busy going through hundreds of applications. Last year we had over 1500 apply…this year will be no different. We try quickly to fill our “hard-to-fill” positions…counselor, psych, strings, etc.
I have already hired 5 people for next year and have 7 to go. In January, the fairs begin. We send a team to Melbourne, Australia for a SEARCH ASSOCIATES fair Jan. 3. At the same time, I will be going to Bangkok for the Search and the ISS (International School Services) Fairs. I hope to hire most of the rest of our spots here. At the end of January, we send another team to Boston, again for the Search and ISS fairs. I do hope to complete the hiring here…if not then it is on to San Francisco. I am very lucky to be at a school like ISKL. It is one of those schools most sought out. At the fairs, we have standing room only at our presentation. Most of our offers are accepted…we usually get the cream of the crop. But it is exhausting. All our hiring for next year is completed by the end of February. Quite a process.
Happy Holidays to Everyone. Merry Christmas.
bob-
Our Adventures 
Merry Christmas Bob:). Miss you at Kenroy. Do you have special Ed students?
Merry Christmas to you, Mary.
Most international schools are not very inclusive, but there is a huge movement to become so. Part of the issue is having the resources to successfully meet the needs of kids with moderate to severe learning needs. We have a full-time speech pathologist, one full-time counselor, a full-time psych/counselor, and also a learning resource specialist at each grade level. Students who have mild to moderate learning needs are provided with additional support via a push-in, co-teaching model. We do have a few moderate to severe students where we develop a SSP (student support plan) and their curriculum is modified. We also have a English As Another Language (EAL) specialist at each grade level.
This year we sent a team of teachers to The International School of The Hague in The Netherlands for a huge Inclusion Conference. Later this year we are sending another team to The International School Brussels to view their inclusion model. Brussels currently is miles ahead of everyone else in having a very supportive environment for children with special needs. We will continue to explore and research how we can become more inclusive. Hopefully within a few years, our special services model will be more open to students with more severe learning needs.
We do not and probably will not admit students with severe behavior needs.
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas !!!
bob-
Good description of Dengue! I’m impressed. It is endemic in Honduras. None of us got it but one of the staff down there did. She was so sick.
I’ll be thinking of you at Christmas. Sorry you can’t be with Heidi but it sounds like you will be keeping busy.
Got my new eye for Christmas and hopefully I’ll be able to see before long. Love you and have a merry! Rhonnie
Most women get implants in their breasts….but you, you go all out and get eye implants!!! You know men secretly love a woman’s eyes!!!!
I am so impressed with your new eye. I hope it heals quickly and you will have great sight.
Oh, and I’d only wish dengue on serial killers and child molesters…it is truly awful.
Merry Christmas to you and yours. I miss you, Rhonnie.
That sounds horrible. I hope neither of you come in contact with that evil mosquito. Ugh!!!
Just wanted to wish two of my faves a very Merry Christmas. Life in kindergarten this past week was quite memorable. Busy bodies, fancy student-made gifts, and a tad of snow on Friday to get everyone a little more “colorful”. Bern and I, however, commented how sad we were with no Bob-no Polar Express story. I appreciate how you made your mark on those in your new school with your gift of story telling. There is just nothing/nobody that compares with your stories.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Hugs from E. Wenatchee.
Love,
Ang
Ang,
Maybe when I come to Wenatchee after my trip to Boston I can stop real quick and tell a story….no promises but I’ll try. I always loved to come to your room and Bernie’s to tell stories….nothing like those kindlers!!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
Bob-
Enjoyed your post, sounds like it is an exhausting time of year..I send you good will, blessings, and joy. It fills my soul to here of your adventures as my journey will one day begin again into the throes of teaching overseas; until then, I get to lie vicariously through you.. Thank you..
Merry Christmas. Jennifer Robichaux
Uh..I see a typo.. oops.. sorry
I won’t notice it as long as you ignore all of mine!!!!
Jennifer,
Just a warning….if you come overseas, you may not ever want to return!!!
Hey, just finished A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING by Ruth Ozeki. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker award. A quirky little book but I enjoyed it….have to be in a zen-Buddhist mood…you’ll see what I mean.
Also, just finished LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Such a gifted writer…you probably read it years ago, but somehow I missed it. A real sensual book, a celebration of love. (if you missed it like I did, you should read it now!!!)
Just starting THE GLASS PALACE by Amitav Ghosh Described as…”A Doctor Zhivago for the Far East” That’s a tall order…I have to see how it pans out!!!
When you are ready to make the move overseas, let me know…until then GO WILDCATS !!!!
bob-
Merry Christmas, Bob!
Love,
Tim, your twin brother!
Tim, Tim, Tim,
I thought for awhile you had forgotten your brother. Now that you are just “this close” to your PHd, you’re getting a little hoity toity already….well, don’t forget where you came from. Remember that little shack we grew up in, no electricity or running water, dirt floor….but we kept it clean, washed our clothes in the river, picked lice out of each other’s hair…but we were happy…we didn’t need any diploma on the wall or a DR. in front of our names. So just remember, life ain’t no crystal stair…It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor –
Bare.
But all the time
You’s gotta keep a-climbin’ on.
(my apologies to Langston Hughes)
Keep a-go’n, little brother.
And MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and yours!!!!!
BBB….Big Brother Bob-