The grounds and roadways surrounding the buildings at R 35 continue to be improved upon. The rainy season took its toll on walkways and drainage areas and now that the rains are over, curbs have been installed. Concrete roadways have been extended to the teacher housing so they no longer have to pick their way along the dirt/mud path to get to school in the morning or home at the end of their day. The garbage situation is the same as it has been in the past however; some new heavy weight garbage cans seem to have been donated by Rotary – a welcome addition as they are somewhat better constructed. They do have open tops (chutes), so if over full dogs will be able to get at the top and potentially tip them over (they do not sit on very level ground when ready for the garbage truck to empty them). Landscaping continues with some new trees and low plants having been set into place recently, and there seems to be more crop gardens by the dorms. One bathing area continues to be built – it was started in early November and it now looks to be 2/3rds done.
There is now a covered walkway from the back of the ISB building to the Cafeteria / Auditorium building. There are three sections – one from the ISB building to the road (about 40 meters long). There is about a 20 meter break across the road, then a 60-70 meter stretch, then a left turn and another 20 meters before it ends about 10 meters from the building. A concrete pathway about 2 meters wide has a covering of light green translucent plastic, supported by rather beefy-looking steel square tubes (3x3 inches)also painted green. It will help but it could have been built wider and with fewer gaps. In heavy rains the water will sheet off the lower edge and we’ll see if any accommodation is made for this.
There are also two cows that now mostly reside in the area just inside and outside of the main gate. We understand the female is going to calve, so there will be three cows at some point.
The school hotel is nearing completion. The bathrooms in the sleeping units are getting their plumbing fixtures installed – western style toilets, sinks and a shower area. The construction looks to have been well done and the pink and blue color scheme is very cheerful. The area surrounding the buildings needs to be landscaped, however the dirt is mostly free of debris and mostly leveled, and there seems to be a bit more attention paid to drainage, with a large concrete drain built around at least two sides.
Two welcome additions to the Home Economics Department are a new four burner gas stove with an oven, and a commercial mixer. These two appliances will be used to teach the students how to bake. Cooking is done in woks on gas burners and not on stoves, so getting familiar with these appliances will give the students saleable skills to take into the local tourist community. A trip is planned to Phuket to purchase the remainder of supplies needed to start this learning process such as baking sheets, cake pans, rolling pins and the like.
The playground continues to be used and enjoyed by all of the students, and now and again the teachers. Some work is required to get the drainage better situated before the next rainy season and some trees need to be planted to add shade as they grow over time. The benches are set within the trees and continue to offer a welcome place to relax and chat with friends.
An oral hygienist spent ten days at R 35 in late November examining over 400 of the students teeth. Plans are being made for those needed to be seen by the Ministry of Health as soon as possible. A dentist may come to R 35 to continue the process or they may be sent to the local hospital where they have a dental clinic.
The annual water shortage is being anticipated and some proposals for reservoirs are being looked into. The reservoir currently under construction below the school is being held up due to a change in the materials for the roof, and the roof support structure has been deemed inadequate structurally. Without adequate water the children do not bathe as often as needed and then annual recurring skin problems become evident – this is already being seen with some of the youngest students.
The ESL program continues. This term there are nine teachers, so many of the classes are seeing the same teachers repeatedly. This has increased the effectiveness of the program as the teachers know what they have covered and can review that material as they are adding new material. The students are more confident in their skills and not as self-conscious when spoken to in English.
New puzzles have been brought to R 35 and have been enjoyed by many. Should a source for new or gently used (with all of the pieces) puzzles from 70 to 300 pieces be found they will be very appreciated. Putting them together can involve working as a team, problem solving skill development and offers opportunities to congratulate the children when they find a piece successfully and can encourage conversation in English about the pieces being sought.