All my Kindergarteners have officially made it through final exams. On There ended up being 8 total: dictation, english, phonics, mathematics, writing, environmental, religion/moral, and creativity (coloring). It was pretty cute- on Monday, after the kids took writing, english, and phonics, my teacher told them to rest for the last fifteen minutes of the day while we began correcting. When closing time came, I asked the kids to stand and say their prayers, but only 8 of the 26 stood up- the rest were out cold. Safe to say these exams take a lot out of them!
Once the kids were done with each test they get a break while we do the correcting right away. I had to make a big spread sheet we used to record scores and rank the students off of the scores. For each test they get a score out of 100 and where that score puts them in the class. Once all 8 exams were done I totaled all their exam scores and used that number to rank the students overall. For preschool and kindergarten the only grade the students get is the grade they got on the exams, nothing from classwork appears on the report.
Now that exams are done school days are very interesting for me. Teachers are supposed to use the class day to analyze the test scores, do the rankings, and finish the final reports. That means no teaching occurs, and the students pretty much get free time. It's definitely a different approach than the United States! Next week also sounds like it will be pretty relaxed- it will be a lot of Christmas lessons and festivities. Our last day, Thursday, is only a half day and that is when parents come in to pick up the final reports and chat with us teachers if they wish. I'm really excited because I also found out that after all the parents leave the teachers stay and have a Christmas party! How appropriate for our last day there. It will be a very nice ending to a very great experience at Ancilla.
Since time is quickly winding down, Auntie has began making us all our favorite Ghanaian dishes so we get to have them one last time before we leave. We just had fufu and peanut butter soup tonight, and on the menu this week is all our favorite rice dishes (I'm still in shock I haven't gotten sick of rice yet!), yams, and lots of plantains. After my little Kindergarteners- the food will definitely be one of the things I miss most about Ghana.
It's wierd writing this blog and thinking that at this point next week my experience here will be done and I will be on a plane from New York to Chicago. Just earlier today we went into Accra for what might be the last time until we drive to the airport. It seems everyday now I'm doing something that is my last for Ghana- last trip to the seamstress (I got more Ghanaian clothes!), last time grocery shopping, last trotro ride. I really can't believe how fast nine weeks has gone by! But with that I realize I should save my reminiscing and sappy talk for my final blog next week- so for now I will end and begin taking in my last days as a Ghanaian!
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