Early Holiday

Thursday September 10, 2009

2:45 p.m.

Last period of the day. The third graders are on the playing field that is terraced just below the art room and next to the outdoor cafeteria/snack bar. I love to hear their play voices - from a distance.

Word has just gone around school that we will start our Honduran Independence Day Holiday early and extend it beyond the planned four day holiday till the end of next week. The ministry of health finally got to us and has shut the school down due to flu. The two large American International schools were shut down last week and this week. We have been shutting classes down - that is keeping students in a grade home for five days if two students from that grade have reported flu. The 9th, 11th, and 6th grades have all had their turns out. Now we have one confirmed H1N1 case and the school will shut down until September 21.

I have 10 days ahead with no school. Debbie and I missed our island holiday opportunity by not getting reservations early enough…everything is booked full. Not too disappointing since many of those will be students and families from our school and others. A beach holiday needs to be QUIET.

We will look through the tour books tonight and see if we can come up with a plan. There is some kind of Picasso exhibit at the city museum and there are some day trips possible from here into the mountains. We may even find a mountainside bed and breakfast to enjoy. Of course a list begins to form minutes after the news of bonus off days is announced. “Oh, I can get my Dick Blick supply order completed, lesson plans made for the rest of the quarter and maybe more, type up my journal notes, set up group emails lists, clear out the 2013 emails in my inbox, raise the hem on a dress I brought with me, read one of the four books I have started, work on a couple of writing projects I have started, paint.” See how I can suck the fun out of a surprise holiday. I will hope that both Debbie and I stay healthy throughout so we don’t have to waste any precious free time being sick. Although, Emilio (third grader) did turn his head when he sneezed last period he did not cover his mouth in any way and the fan was blowing in my direction….Ah well. We shall see what the next few days bring.

We have a fridge full of food and drink at home and it just might be good to hibernate for a couple of days. Hmmm bonus days….what shall we do, what shall we do?