It is Friday and I have just completed the second week of the new school year. I have the following to report:
1. I am enjoying teaching my top year group – year 7. I taught them last year and many have made good progress. They tolerate my eccentricities and try hard.
2. I am haing a much tougher time with grade 6. Most are shy and very reluctant to contribute. And a couple have behaviour that belongs in an English school.
3. The Principal continues to amuse me. At the end of the last week I had a free period and was reading in his ‘office’. Midway through the Russian revolution (I am onto my last book – Dr Zhivago) he asked if I could hear the noise,
‘What noise, Mr Mkumbusi?’
‘The sound of the young hyenas calling.’
‘No, I cannot hear them.’
‘Listen carefully.’
‘I still cannot hear them.’
‘Eish Mr Toulson. I am not being serious. Can you not hear the grade r children howling for their mothers? How we all must suffer!’
4. I am making progress in organising a school trip to the beach. The education department policy document requires me to set up several committees. Rather than doing this I have produced a couple of sets of fictitious minutes. These give due consideration to the ridiculous guide lines on safety precautions. One section reminds trip coordinators that not all areas in SA have mobile phone reception. Thus alternative means of emergency communication should be considered. I am still wondering what they have in mind.
5. We lost our first – T20 – cricket match of the year. We spent a couple of afternoons this week training. All toiled hard under the midday son. And I promised the boys that their hard work would be rewarded.
Opting to bat first, we suffered several early wicket losses. Fortunately our steely middle order offered resistance and we ended up posting a competitive 43 run total.
Taking early key opposition wickets, confidence grew among Ntabayengwe. Only for their coach to insist on a suicidal ‘everyone must bowl strategy’. The unforgiving umpire (also their coach) then proceeded to award the opposition nearly 30 no ball/wides.
A string of sporting clichés helped to reduce the disappointment on the faces of the Ntabayengwe boys at the end. As compensation for my part in their downfall, I have promised to arrange another match soon.
This weekend
Away from school, Mary is on call this weekend. So we have nothing exciting planned. I foresee a weekend of Siberian love and romance.
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