Well, September has come and gone! Here in the country it has been hot (in the 40s) but that has not put a damper on the re-opening of Ecole Emmanuel.
The school year began with the placement exams on 9th September. With the newer structure of the course in 6-week modules and the new look to the school, we were unsure of the student turn out. But we are thankful that many prospective students came to take the test. It was a full and busy day with two sessions of testing, in the morning and evening.
The new module course is focused on skills around level 2 English. It is a faster, more intensive course and practices skills in all four of the language learning categories: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The class will meet three nights a week. Twenty-four students passed and most of them have registered. The first day of class was Saturday, 16th September. In addition, in response to individual requests, three of last year’s most able level 2 students will receive an intensive session once a week to raise their skills to level 3.
As the English modules get underway, the other school programmes are also starting up.
The library is open in the mornings. We reduced the size of the school at the beginning of the summer. Now the library is in the old conversation room. It is definitely a new look for the school, but it is a cosy atmosphere and perfect for reading or study. Already regulars are coming to chat, read, and study. The heat can’t deter the dedicated students. After some intensive cleaning from the dust of a Djiboutian summer, the library computer is also up and working so we can issue books and receive them back. A high priority is to get the computer that students use working as well, so that they can listen to English videos or do research.
Conversation classes began in the last week of September. The first to start was the women’s only class on Tuesday evenings. We had a very dedicated group last year that grew from one or two students, in some weeks, to having over 10 students and being forced to get more chairs. There will also be for everyone, a conversation class on Saturday mornings and a book club on Tuesday mornings. Book club was a fun addition last year. It is shorter than a conversation class and focuses around a story. The book changes each week and varies from realistic fiction to non-fiction, to folk-tales, to condensed classics. Each student gets to take a copy of the text home at the end of class so they can continue practising their reading or sharing it with friends and family at home.
September is always a busy month for the school. As everything gets up and running, we settle into the patterns of the school year again. We are excited about the relationships that will be built and we are pleased to have welcomed the students back for what we hope will be another great year.
Kerith Trust 