Sunday 31 August 2008
On My Role Here So Far
Since I've been here, I have not encountered one real challenge. On one day, when I was clearly stressing over all the orientation stuff I had missed, my program director, Ms. R, told me that I needed to relax and that the faculty and staff at King's Academy just have to go with the flow sometimes. At that point, I thought that the pace would start to quicken once I had my internship assignment and the students had arrived. Then, about a week ago, Ms. R asked me if I would like to work in the library. I said yes, and my first day of work is tomorrow. However, I still don't know when my Arabic classes will start, and my hallway proctors are doing a fantastic job being friendly, welcoming, and approachable. So at this point it seems that I am free to do as much or as little as I would like. The staff in general seem to be content with whatever initiatives I choose to take or not take. I think this is because the faculty remember the gap year students last year as always taking the initiative to occupy themselves and help the school. So at this point I'm just going to wait to see if my library duties and my Arabic lesions give me enough of a routine that I'll feel that I have a real place here.
First Night With All of Our Students
After the afternoon's orientation programs had finally ended, the now completed student body assembled in my favorite building, the auditorium, to hear a talk about afternoon activities. When I first looked at the school's list of offered afternoon activities, I couldn't believe how few choices there were. It seemed as if the students' choices were pretty much soccer, basketball, and dance/theater. Even though I wasn't required to play any of these sports, I was still required to coach them. But then when the day for coaching signups arrived I managed to find my niche in the hallowed afternoon pastime of "Recreational Fitness". After I was officially assigned to help coach recreational fitness I didn't give athletics another thought. But when I saw this evening's presentation on afternoon activities I started wishing that I was a student here. King's Academy doesn't offer just soccer, basketball, and theater/dance but also community service, fencing, visual art classes, swimming, and horseback riding. The cool thing about horseback ridging, though, is that it's held at his majesty's personal stables 15 minutes from campus and primarily open for beginning riders.
Then, after dinner, the student body and the faculty made there way to the academic building for one of the school's most important opening year traditions. The tradition I think is called "introductions" and it lasts about 2 hours. I said that the students and faculty made their way to the academic building, but, in fact, we actually walked into an open air courtyard in the middle of the academic building. Once inside the courtyard all 267 students sat on the ground in the middle while the faculty sat/stood around the edges. Leading the event were Dr. Eric and his wife, Dr. Meera, both sitting in chairs in front of the students. They asked that everybody in the courtyard, one by one, stand up, say his/name, grade, and city and country of origin. With that, Dr. Eric and Dr. Meera introduced themselves and then, after the rest of the faculty had introduced themselves, asked a nearby faculty member to read off a list of student names. One by one the students sprung up from their sitting positions and introduced themselves. After about an hour of this I started to think that the whole tradition looked a lot like whack-a-mole. But when everyone had introduced him/herself I decided that this was a great tradition and a great way to start the year. I felt more part of a community sitting on the ground with these people than I had ever truly felt at any other school. This was also because there were only 260 students and because Dr. Eric and Dr. Meera are two of the kindest people I've ever met and simply a great team. The highlights of the evening were of course Dr. Meera say that she is "married to a man who has a dream" and a student, when telling us where he was from, saying that "my country was demolished by a monkey named George Bush". Considering the enthusiasm of the students and the current mood surrounding the election I'd say that these were both very appropriate comments.
Then, after dinner, the student body and the faculty made there way to the academic building for one of the school's most important opening year traditions. The tradition I think is called "introductions" and it lasts about 2 hours. I said that the students and faculty made their way to the academic building, but, in fact, we actually walked into an open air courtyard in the middle of the academic building. Once inside the courtyard all 267 students sat on the ground in the middle while the faculty sat/stood around the edges. Leading the event were Dr. Eric and his wife, Dr. Meera, both sitting in chairs in front of the students. They asked that everybody in the courtyard, one by one, stand up, say his/name, grade, and city and country of origin. With that, Dr. Eric and Dr. Meera introduced themselves and then, after the rest of the faculty had introduced themselves, asked a nearby faculty member to read off a list of student names. One by one the students sprung up from their sitting positions and introduced themselves. After about an hour of this I started to think that the whole tradition looked a lot like whack-a-mole. But when everyone had introduced him/herself I decided that this was a great tradition and a great way to start the year. I felt more part of a community sitting on the ground with these people than I had ever truly felt at any other school. This was also because there were only 260 students and because Dr. Eric and Dr. Meera are two of the kindest people I've ever met and simply a great team. The highlights of the evening were of course Dr. Meera say that she is "married to a man who has a dream" and a student, when telling us where he was from, saying that "my country was demolished by a monkey named George Bush". Considering the enthusiasm of the students and the current mood surrounding the election I'd say that these were both very appropriate comments.
Saturday 30 August 2008
My first impressions of King's Academy
King's Academy, a school of about 144 acres that can host about 650 students, is quite an amazing place. The entire campus was built from scratch in only 18 months. Everything is still sparkling and beautiful. The school deliberately plants only trees and plants that are local to the region. These trees and plants were also chosen because they all require very little water. Speaking of water, though, the thing that really inspires me is school's system of watering the lawns with gray water. That means all the used shower water from the school's inhabitants keeps the grass here green and plentiful.
The school is now going into its second year and will have about 260 students. Most students are either day students or weekday boarders, who sleep in the dorms Sunday trough Wednesday and then go home every weekend. As for full boarders, there are only about 60 on the entire campus, of which only about 17 are girls.
The school is still very young and very fragile. Students get very little free time during the day and have much less freedom than I would expect from a boarding school. Lights our for everyone is at 11:00 and study hours are from 8:00 to 10:00 at night. Dinner is from 6:30 to 7:30 but afternoon activities keep students busy from 4:30 to 6:15. Then, during the day, students have very few free periods. With all this structure, King's Academy seems to me to be a high school version of Eaglebrook. Maybe students will get more freedom in the future, but for now it looks like the school needs to keep students busy so that they don't have the chance to do anything that could hurt the school's reputation.
The school is now going into its second year and will have about 260 students. Most students are either day students or weekday boarders, who sleep in the dorms Sunday trough Wednesday and then go home every weekend. As for full boarders, there are only about 60 on the entire campus, of which only about 17 are girls.
The school is still very young and very fragile. Students get very little free time during the day and have much less freedom than I would expect from a boarding school. Lights our for everyone is at 11:00 and study hours are from 8:00 to 10:00 at night. Dinner is from 6:30 to 7:30 but afternoon activities keep students busy from 4:30 to 6:15. Then, during the day, students have very few free periods. With all this structure, King's Academy seems to me to be a high school version of Eaglebrook. Maybe students will get more freedom in the future, but for now it looks like the school needs to keep students busy so that they don't have the chance to do anything that could hurt the school's reputation.
On gender relations
Here at King's Academy boys are never allowed in girls' dorms and girls are never allowed in boys' dorms. This goes along with the major school rule that states that "sexual intimacy is inappropriate and will be grounds for disciplinary action". This policy not only applies to students, however. Nobody- whether a teacher, sibling, or even parent- is allowed in the dorm of the opposite gender. The one exception is on moving and closing days.
Today for instance, a mother was helping her son move into my hallway. I introduced myself and offered my hand to both the mother and son. The son shook my hand and told me his name. The mother on the other hand pulled her hands toward her and awkwardly, but nicely, said, "Sorry, I can't". Apparently I had already forgotten the religious rules on gender relations, which forbid any physical contact between men and women outside of wedlock or family. I'll be sure to remember that cultural faux pas.
Today for instance, a mother was helping her son move into my hallway. I introduced myself and offered my hand to both the mother and son. The son shook my hand and told me his name. The mother on the other hand pulled her hands toward her and awkwardly, but nicely, said, "Sorry, I can't". Apparently I had already forgotten the religious rules on gender relations, which forbid any physical contact between men and women outside of wedlock or family. I'll be sure to remember that cultural faux pas.
On Ramadan
Ramadan, the holy month of prayer and fasting during daylight hours, either begins on Monday or Tuesday. Nobody knows for sure, though, because the Islamic calendar is lunar, and so, everyone, including the school, has to wait until some guy somewhere looks up at the moon and decides that Ramadan has officially begun.
Once Ramadan begins, however, things here really start to change. Classes are shortened to give the observant students' starved brains a break. During the day, lunches are served in the dining hall as usual. However, it is considered polite to not eat, drink, or smoke in any other public areas. The really weird thing, though, is that during the entire month of Ramadan, when observant students cannot eat or drink during the day, all students are still required to participate in athletic/theater/community service activities. How fasting students can be expected to perform during athletic practices we have yet to see. Last year the school simply cancelled all afternoon activities during the Ramadan. This year, however, coaches are simply recommended to keep their practices short and simple. We'll just have to wait and see how that goes.
Once Ramadan begins, however, things here really start to change. Classes are shortened to give the observant students' starved brains a break. During the day, lunches are served in the dining hall as usual. However, it is considered polite to not eat, drink, or smoke in any other public areas. The really weird thing, though, is that during the entire month of Ramadan, when observant students cannot eat or drink during the day, all students are still required to participate in athletic/theater/community service activities. How fasting students can be expected to perform during athletic practices we have yet to see. Last year the school simply cancelled all afternoon activities during the Ramadan. This year, however, coaches are simply recommended to keep their practices short and simple. We'll just have to wait and see how that goes.
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