End of June

 The rest of June they finished up the bottom joists, and started putting in the pillars for the first floor rooms. This took a lot of work, making sure they were straight, square, and in line. They then had to mix the cement by hand to pour in the stands. The last pictures you can see them preparing to put in the joists for the first half of the steps going up.

starting to see the building going up

almost done with the floor joists

fist floor pillars being filled after the cement is mixed by hand

joists for the steps going up

Weekend Work

view from the current building

This morning I came to school to teach for VisionTrust and saw that they were working. Both the backhoe and the cement truck were in place, as well as the bucket brigade. They were mixing the cement in the truck, then moving it by hand one bucketful at a time to put it in the right place. It was quite the effort. I watched for about 20 minutes waiting for the cement to be ready and then as they were pouring the cement and started to feel like I was getting burned so I headed home. Those workers have to stay in the heat working hard all day. They deserve some cake, maybe I'll make them one :)

I was so afraid this guy was going to slip and fall as he popped up

and down pouring water into the truck one bucket at a time.

bucket brigade

even the foreman got in on the cement pouring action, making sure

each bucket was poured in the right spot, (at least while I was there with the camera)

School Bank

Last year the school opened a school bank. It is an effort to teach students to save up money instead of spending all that they have. Last year they had a big opening ceremony and ribbon cutting for the new bank. Students were then allowed to open up their accounts with a fee of 40 Baht (just over $1). 20 Baht for the account book and 20 Baht as an initial deposit. There were 20+ students who volunteered to work at the bank, and they each had set days to work. It is open before school, and at lunchtime. The teachers in charge tallied up the number of times students deposited money and gave prizes accordingly. Showing students it not about how much money your parents give you to set aside, but a matter of how many times you've been to the bank. Students who had withdrawn money were disqualified from the prizes to encourage saving. What great lessons the students are learning. The grand prize was a bicycle, I think that will encourage students to deposit a lot more this year.

Student Council Elections

introducing the first party

the leader of the first party

 Each year the school holds what we would consider student council elections. This year there were two parties made up of 7th grade students. One party from each of the two classes. The first party leader was the winner from last year, so it would have been easy to just let him continue. However, in teaching students about democracy they still went about with the whole thing. The prepared posters and signs for a week and posted them around the school. Then after chapel on Monday and Tuesday they each got to share their parties platforms and introduce themselves. Friday the elections were opened by explaining the importance of elections and each of the teacher's jobs, as well as the different voting "stations" set up by grade. After a prayer the students were released to their areas to vote. The two parties were split up and sent to each voting station to make sure the elections were fair. In the kindergarten classes they ended up having to help the students make an X in the box they chose. I was proud to see that no matter what party they were from they didn't try to change the youngsters vote. It was so cute to watch them helping. After all the votes were cast in each station they then opened the boxes and pulled out the votes one by one to tally them before the voting district as the Thais would in a real election. The 5th-7th grade voted in the meeting hall, so everyone gathered back together to tally up those final votes and to bring in the votes from each of the other 4 stations to add in. Once all the votes were tallied the winner was announced (not a surprise it was the same student as last year). The losing party was given a chance to thank their supporters, and then the winner was given a chance as well. My job for the day was to take pictures in each class and make sure no cheating was going on. I can honestly say that I didn't see any cheating and that it was a fair election as far as I could tell. Congratulations to the winning party. May you help the teachers and school throughout the year.

introducing the second party

the second party talking to the students in the morning the

day before the election, looking for votes

praying for both parties and for a fair election process

helping the Kindergarten vote

5th graders voting

tallying the third and fourth graders votes

teachers tallying the 5th-7th graders votes

tallying the votes once they are announced live

the second party thanking their supporters

the leader of the winning party thanking the people who voted for them.

Foundation

they must be placed just so, and this often takes several men

This week the team split up and some were here at the school while others went to help another project so that we could get the cement mixer back here quicker. The progress being made here at the school was making more of the wire frames to pour the cement over. I think the ones on the ground are the foundation... maybe :) We'll see as things progress. (I'm not really up to date on my building terminology, especially this type of building). The metal frames were made, and carried over to form the foundation grid. Others were put in at the corners coming up that will be the poles supporting the building. Once these were in place they put the metal framework things in place to prepare for the cement to be poured. I think the building will start looking like a building once the cement is poured in these. More updates to come as they make more progress.

not only do they have to be in the right place, but level as well

starting to come together

working on the frames even in the rain

starting to see the outline of a building, now they just need

to add the cement :)

putting up the frames

Metal Work

Taking off the final mold pieces in the front

row of the building.

They have used thousands of little wires to connect the rods

together. When the electricity is on they use this saw to cut

the metal. It seems dangerous to me, but they are the experts.

The beginning of this week they put in a few poles at the front of the building that will be under the stairs going to the second floor, so it needs the reinforcement of the bedded foundation. The weather was quite rainy all week, so once those poles were done, they began working on what I think will become the floor joists that go between the poles that they embedded in the ground. They have made quite the network of beams. They wire them together under the tent, then they have to be carried to the worksite and set into the proper place. As you can see, it is no easy task as it takes quite a few grown men to carry them. Several days there were only a few people working as the rain prevented a lot of work from being done, so the people who came were just working on making these beams and then they put them in place when the other workers came the next day.

I love when the girl on the right comes to

work in her sarong. It's so cute and typical

for this area.

Carrying the beams and putting them into place is no small task.

Building definitely takes a lot of teamwork.

This guy seems to be the expert at knowing

where to hit the bent metal rods to make them

straight. I'm amazed every time.

This reminds me of the dot game I played as a child. You have

to have beams going between all of the poles to complete the project.

Some of the wire work had to be done once the beams were in place.

They said that if it was all done under the tents then they wouldn't be

able to lift them at all. So, here are the women hard at work.

Wai Kru

Wai Kru day is a day set aside on a Thursday in June each year. The students spend several days practicing sitting still in the meeting hall while a boy and girl from each class hold a book and walk to the front of the meeting hall, onto the stage, walk in unison from opposite sides, get on your knees, and shuffle up to the teachers. Then they have to practice bowing before the teachers. There is a precise way that you are to bow, with your legs in a certain way, your left arm first, then the right (I think), a certain amount of time to bow, then getting up in unison and exciting the way you came. It is all about the ceremony and showing respect for the teachers. There are special songs for this day, and a few years ago a very touching video would circulate amongst the Thais this time of year. It is all to remind students to respect the teachers. At our school, many young teachers are now teaching alongside those that taught them, so they set the example of respecting the older teachers as well. We are constantly learning, and constantly teaching. On the real day, each class has two flower arrangements that the representatives present. There are certain things that must be in each arrangement and they each have meaning and significance. Teachers are assigned to judge the arrangements and they receive snacks as prizes. Overall it is usually a good day. The students are reminded to respect the teacher's and I think the teachers see how important the lives of each student really is. For me it is a reminder of why I'm here. Seeing all of those little faces bowing and singing about their respect for teachers reminds me how influential each little thing I say and do can be. Both in a positive and negative way. Please pray for our teachers and students this year as we live our lives together each day in and out of the classroom, that we would respect and love each other in all that we do.

Filing into the meeting hall for practice the first day.

God Bless You 

Practicing the standing and singing part with 7th graders

watching over the younger ones.

Practicing using books

Teacher's working with the Kindergarteners to teach them how

to properly bow.

This one was so cute in the shape of a heart.

The rows of arrangements ready to give the teachers

A student performing a Thai dance for the teachers

The school choir singing one of the songs written especially for this day.

All of the students singing the little ditty that they say every year.

(I should probably figure out what they are saying, I'm sure it's something

about respecting their teachers and the significance of teachers)

Some Kindergarteners carrying their arrangements

Seventh graders presenting their arrangements