School Day!!

This video is of Paul's class as he's taking them up to the classroom.

This video is of Paul's class getting ready to start the day.

Paul's class coming into the room in the morning.

Paul with the class pet hamster.

Getting ready for music/dance time to open the day.

Teacher Alana with her class.

Teacher Paul correcting workbooks.

Paul's students working on English assignments.

Paul's class lining up for a bathroom break.

Paul's class with their morning snack (noodles).

Front entrance to the school. 

 Everything worked smoothly for our visit to Uncle Sam American School today.  We were received warmly by the Taiwanese and foreign staff, and of course the children were delighted to see Teacher Paul's parents!!  They were quite amused that we were also teachers, so it was Teacher Tim and Teacher Michelle as well as Teacher Paul and Teacher Alana!!  So many teachers in one family!!  :-) 

When we arrived, we put our backpacks in the teacher workroom and donned slippers for inside the building.  We joined Paul's class for the opening "dancing" time - which is really like kindergarten music class with actions to the songs.  Very cute, with lots of enthusiasm from the kids.  We then received a tour of the school by the director, Teacher Cindy, who is Taiwanese.  She has very good English skills, and she was proud to show us their spacious, well-lit building.  There are three floors, plus a basement, and it the facilities were even nicer than we expected.  We then observed Paul's language class and math class with the K-6 Ducks.  (6 & 7 year olds who will graduate to the next level in August.)  Paul's students are really bright, and they only speak in English at school.  He did a great job of engaging the kids in the curriculum and having fun with them!!  Tim did his "duck" imitation for the kids, and then Tim and I did some swing dancing for them.  (The kids to have us dance!)  We were there from 8:45 to 11:30, having an exit visit with Cindy before we left.  She was very complimentary about Paul and Alana as teachers in her school!!  It was an absolutely delightful morning!! 

The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial ---- HUGE!!

Gates into the memorial area

The National Symphony Hall

Architectural features on the National Theatre Building

View from the top of the steps on the memorial, looking to the National Theater (left),  gates (middle), and National Symphony Hall (right)

Ready for the changing of the guard - very similar ceremony to ours at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery in D.C.

The two new guards marching in with a supervisor

The incoming and outgoing guards in the cermony.   Very elaborately choreographed.

Changing of the guard.

On the grounds of the memorial - we walked across this little bridge.

View of a tree from the bridge

On the bridge

Tim on the bridge.

A blue water-bird - about 1 1/2 feet tall.

Took this just for the Hope College folks --- black squirrels are everywhere --- even in Taipei! 

In the afternoon, Tim and I toured the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial - very similar to our National Mall in Washington D.C. - and we saw the ceremonial changing of the guard, which was even more intricate and complexly choreographed than ours at Arlington Cemetery - very impressive.  There's also a museum below that we enjoyed, and lovely gardens with a koi pond to walk through. 

We're off to Old Street Sanxia with P/A now for supper at a hot pot restaurant.  Fun times!!
Love,
-M & T-