St Isabel School is about one hour by bus from Villaflora (Quito) where I live. I come out here on Tuesday and Friday mornings and every afternoon except some Mondays. St Isabel is first a separate barrio (district-townland) outside Quito. One of the good things about it is that it is out in the country, well part of the ribbon development, but when you get to the school it is off the main road and sometimes there is even silence !!The school operates Tuesday and Friday 0900 to 1100 and every afternoon 1400 to 1630. Children from about 5yrs to about 12 / 13 come here either before school (0900 to 1100) or after for help with their homework.
The school takes place in a partially completed house,which could be nice if it were finished no doors, except external, no plaster, no internal finishing of any kind. the loo is in place, but privacy is provided by a curtain on a piece of string.
The desks are fixed , child sized desks with desk and chair integrated,(reminds me of old desks which some of us will remember from when we were in school) so they are difficult for an adult to sit on.
Most of the homework seems to be either arithmetic, or, for even quite old children, handwriting. I sometimes am assigned to teach English. the environment is not conducive to good teaching , with 10 kids in the "front room" half of whom are doing maths, others are talking & I am trying to get across the subtleties of "I am" vs "I'm" When i am here for the full Day have a lot of time to fill between 1100 and 1400--- hence this e mail.
Am meeting Eileen , the nun, from ?? Tipp? Cork? somewhere south -at any rate! on Sat morning.
Love to all, Joe.
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