My Volunteer Project

For the Overseas project we have to do a Service Learning Project. I was slow to come by one but luckily J thought of one for me. She suggested that I go by Scally's to see if they could use my services. Scally's is a pre-kindergarten school for little kids ages 5 and younger and is also an after school sort of day care for primary school kids. I had to do something that was outside of my school and was apart of the community. The thought of working with all those young kids was really daunting for me. Personally, I'd rather shear a sheep. (By the way, there were some farmers from England on the Kiwi Bus and they said that shearing a sheep is nothing to laugh at. All of them said it's really hard work. Plus, sheep farmers make almost twice as much as regular farmers. But still, I think it'd be fun to have a go at a sheep. (poor, poor sheep, right?) There are sheep ALL over the place over here and once we even got in a sheep traffic jam (I have a picture of it. HILARIOUS. There's all these little sheep faces in the screen.) They look so soft and fluffy. It'd seems like it would feel nice to hug a sheep.

Anyway, back to Scally's. I went yesterday for the first time. I haven't spent any time in a kindergarten classroom since I was in Kindergarten myself. I felt SO awkward and out of place. I kept trying to talk to the little ones but could only hear what a dweeb I sounded like! The fake little laugh that I kept producing was horrid. I have little cousins! Several, actually. It should not be that hard. Part of the problem is the wonderful kiwi accent that I thought I had a hold on until I met these little ones. A kiwi accent is already hard to understand and then coupled with little kids who can't pronounce all their words right in the first place was nearly impossible. I would just look at them blankly then say, "mmm yea.. neat." There was this one little girl that constantly cracked me up. She says everything in the form of a question. For example, "you work at scally's today, ey? (ey is is pronounced A) Or, it's time for lunch, ey?" This little four year old and her dear accent and saying "ey" at the end of everything made her sound like a pirate! I'm certain I'm the only one who thought so but it was so entertaining to me I couldn't help crack a smile. There is also another little girl who has to be watched all the time because if she gets away she immediately will stop up the sink and flood the bathroom. It's such a funny problem to have. Just like the little kid who decided to paint the bottom of his feet instead of his firetruck and stamped little purple feet prints all over the cement. It was pretty cute. I sort of wish I had those sort of problems instead of kids flinging every cussword in the book at me or indecent behavior of another kind going on in the bathroom. Can you imagine a high school student who would think it'd be great fun to paint the bottom of his feet purple and stamp on down the hallway? Actually, I think I could imagine some of my students doing it! In the states and here!

Scally's really is a pre-kindy (they call Kindergarten, kindy, it's easier for the little one's to say) heaven. The facility is amazing. The different age groups occupy three different buildings and the yards in between. The buildings are old houses aside from the one that was just built which is a huge heated gym (tumble room, they call it). Each age group has their different areas and have AWESOME outside play areas. It really is like nothing I've ever seen. So cool.

Towards the end I started to feel more comfortable and even got a little boy to stop crying! Anyway, I got the little kid to stop crying by picking up this toy cat and meowing at him! So appropriate, ey? I don't know what I was thinking. I just meowed at him and he answered me with a mew. So, I go meow mew mew! I have a kitty at home do you have kitty as a pet (Grandma!)? Meow. Okay, typing it, it sounds incredibly stupid and weird but my old cat lady ways saved me of the awkward situation of having a howling kid on my hands. But really, what kind of person just meows at a kid to get them to stop crying?! Even I think I'm weird.

I have to go back today because I have to do at least 8 hours. I'm not exactly looking forward to it but I'm not dreading it like before. All the teachers there or pre-degree teachers are super nice so it's not all bad. Luckily, no one saw my meowing yesterday so at least no one will be calling me "that girl who meows at the kids" when they can't remember my name!