This Makes Me Happy

One of the things I love about our school, is the service learning. Students in Grade 5, and up, are asked to take part in at least one community service activity. There's also a lot of service learning, and connections made within the classrooms.

For several years, one of the service learning programs, has been a friendly exchange between our students and students from the Buguruni School for the Deaf. Students from both schools, have enjoyed a special relationship. Our students have been involved with the Buguruni School for several years and a successful exchange programme is in place. IST students enjoy visiting the school, learning some sign language, playing games and football together. Buguruni students also come visit IST and enjoy sharing food, watching Tinga-Tinga tales, creating arts and crafts and...well...playing football!!!

A few years ago, as part of their personal project, one 10th grade student started a Henna Painting initiative. Many girls from Buguruni have joined the Henna Artist Group.

This year, many of these girls will be graduating primary school. This past Friday, they came to IST to have an art sale. The money earned from the sale will go towards either their secondary school education, or even the possibility of starting up small businesses.  I showed up shortly after it began, and was stunned, to see most of the paintings had been sold!!! While sad to miss out on some great art, I did manage to get one (as did Ethan) and the sight of these gorgeous paintings and these beautiful girls made me happy.

This Makes Me Happy

So for the last few days,

I've seen links to this video on Facebook,

but haven't had a chance to watch it.

Then today, 

I was early fetching Ethan from school.

While I waited,

I thought I'd watch it.

Well,

I looked like an idiot!

There I am, 

sitting on a picnic table,

earbuds in my ear,

watching on my iPhone,

when suddenly,

I start giggling.

I couldn't stop!

I can only imagine what people walking by thought.

If you haven't seen it,

here it is!

Seventh Grave & No Body - Darynda Jones

It took me a long time 

to gobble this one.

But it was not due to the book,

but that I was uber busy.

A flight home from Dubai

gave me the time I needed 

to catch up with Charley, Reyes,

Cookie and the gang.

The fun stuff included:

Cookie and Ubie are a couple.

And a cute one.

Osh, aka The Dealer

is a fun and intriguing new character.

I can't wait to see more of him.

Reyes pushes Charley to learn

more about her powers.

And then there's Jessica.

Dead, but not gone.

Will she continue to be a pest?

This time around,

Charley has to deal with a bunch of people

disappearing,

leaving behind suicide notes.

But they didn't write the notes.

She looks for a grave robber,

deals with the Twelve Hell Hounds

and learns the Vatican has been spying on her.

Oh, and then there's her dad.

He's gone missing.

Yes, 

life with Charley is never boring!

Gotta love that girl! 

This Makes Me Happy

There are many things that can make me

happy.

This weekend,

I was in Dubai.

And while the weather,

shopping,

food and

 mates

were great,

there was something else

that made me truely happy.

I attended a Cultures of Thinking

workshop

presented by Ron Ritchhart.

To spend 2 days,

listening to this man

was inspiring.

And truely made me happy.

This Makes Me Happy

Every once in awhile,

you see something that really makes you happy.

You know,

you can't stop smiling,

and every time you think about it,

you smile.

You know those things,

right?

Well, 

this is one of those things

that makes me happy.

So I had to share.