Updates!

So.......... I think it´s about time for an update!

School: School is going so well! I have officially started a regular schedule at San Ramon. I work the mornings from 8:15-9:45 then from 10:05-11:35 then from 11:45-1:15. I also help out with the Debate Team on Mondays and Wednesdays! During my classes I basically do things just to get them talking! So we have done things like introduction games and today I brought in my computer and I taught them ¨respect¨by Aretha Franklin (everyone should know that song!) It was fun because they got into it and even made up a dance as the backup dancers. I have many different levels of students. I have 7th, 8th, Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors. It´s a lot sometimes but I can do a lot of repeating of lesson plans during the week so that helps a lot. I really do like it here and the students or ¨alumnos¨are all really sweet. They call me Miss Jessica and always like to tell me any English words they can think of. Today 2 kids came to my room after class to play a Bon Jovi song they had learned. They were actually really good! I was thoroughly impressed. I like the school because every day is a little different than the next.

When I first got to the school the teachers had a little fiesta for me during our first break at school when we all have tea or coffee together. They made a sign and put up balloons so that made me feel really welcome! The junior class also threw me a little fiesta on my first day and there was food, music, dancing and even a little live music where 2 kids played Juanes (my favorite latino singer!) It was really sweet and a great way to start out my time here! My sister danced Cueca for the class which was really fun to see. Cueca is a traditional dance here and I´m really hoping to learn! I have one of the steps down but I´m still working on the turn! I´m trying to learn all the names but I have around 320 students during the work so it is quite the challenge! The teachers names are coming slowely but surely :) And gotta love Johnny, he works at the schools snack stand, always a good person to know :) I have my own room so I have tried to decorate it a little but it is super cold because there are lots of windows!! I´m used to wearing a jacket, scarf and gloves while I teach. I try and do activities where we can move around just to warm up!

My family has been nothing but super nice to me this whole time! My host mother got me some yarn and is helping me to knit a scarf (which is always nice to have here!) My sister Daniela just celebrated her 17th birthday July 1st so it was fun to see how everyone celebrates here. There was of course cake and a birthday song! They made me do a solo of the English version :) My host mother brings me breakfast while I´m getting ready in the morning and drives us to school at 8 everyday. Nice set up!! I have been so blessed with this family and I am so grateful. Dani and I usually come back together from school for lunch and are able to eat together so that is nice. I was able to go to a handball with my host dad one day which was really fun because I have never seen a handball game before! Its kind of a mix of basketball and soccer. They one both games of course :)

One night I was able to get together with four people from my program and we had dinner and shared stories. You can imagine that was a fun time. Everyone is really loving it. After dinner 2 of them came back to my house for a little unexpected bbq and fiesta with my family and some friends. It was fun but I was super stuffed after all the food!! hehe. It was also fun because a soccer player from the Chile team came so I got his autograph and picture for when he gets super famous. It was really crazy because he was only 18! I felt old haha.

This weekend I´m very excited about! Tomorrow Sam and I will take a bus to Santiago to learn about the winter camp we will be a part of. It is a week long event where the best students from all the schools come for a week long English immersion experience. The camp will take place at the end of July but we are going to learn about it tomorrow. After the camp session a few of us are going to Valparaiso for Saturday and Sunday! It is supposed to be really pretty so I´m excited to go and report back :) It will be fun to explore more of the country. I think it is an hour north of Santiago so the travel won´t be bad at all! I should be back Sunday in time to prepare for Monday class no problem :)

That pretty much sums it up for now! I hope everyone is well and enjoying the warm weather for me :)