Teacher Inservice, Soccer, Plants

The administration kicked off our week with Teacher Inservice on Monday.  It started with a breakfast and we experienced yet another way of preparing papaya called Fausi, sweet bread pudding consistency sweetened with coconut milk and cinnamon.  Campus was a buzz following our two-week break, and like the students, our classes resumed as well. 

Typical to the startup, firming the roster has been ongoing since the first sessions.  We have begun the Foundations of Education class for staff who are working toward their ITEP Teaching Certificate; it is a two-credit class held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  If staff have previously completed the ITEP Teaching Certificate, they are then qualified to pursue the administration track which includes the Human Resource/Law class Ron will be teaching one day a week; it is a one credit course.  New class members, registrations, and different classes are a twist to our usual schedule.  We look forward to these classes.

We were pleasantly surprised Friday when the vice principal brought a group of about 15 students from the United States to our office so they could meet us.  They were high school students from Rexburg, Idaho visiting the schools of Samoa and learning history.

Also this week, a BYU doctoral student from Provo stopped in to visit us regarding diabetes.  She has been asked to develop a basic curriculum that can be instituted in the Pacific Islands.  The church has started an initiative to educate and to curb diabetes, especially in Samoa where diabetes is so prevalent.  Ron has made some in-roads with staff as far as diabetes education and staff referred the visiting doctoral student to him.

Saturday we took in the second half of the girls’ soccer game held in a nearby village.  They are at an amateur level but love to play and have fun doing so. 

  

We tried star fruit this week picked fresh from our friends’ tree.  It was juicy but rather tasteless. 

We saw a new “creature” on our car tire this week.  I happened upon a chicken eating one of these bugs; humorous episode to watch.

We noticed this tree in bloom outside our office.  It is loaded with these beautiful flowers.

Ron has been tending a volunteer tomato plant outside our house.  It has the perfect drip system---the condensation from the air conditioner.  It is loaded with grape tomatoes and they are finally ripening.

Happy 24^th of July Pioneer Day!