Last Big Cleaning Friday

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Last Big Cleaning Friday

Today school stopped at 11 again at least for us. The bigger children, over 7, are involved in the cleaning process which involves taking all the furniture out before the vigorous sweeping. I wonder how it would go down in Daisy’s school.
It is a losing battle at Joe Slovo because of the dryness, although today we saw that they have planted trees in the front of the school which will stabilize that bit of ground if they take root and grow. It doesn’t look very fertile but the vegetable garden is growing well and they have got top soil or created compost which looks quite rich. One or two of the Mandela houses and shacks are trying to make gardens and one has a small but vividly green lawn.
There is some live stock . A few houses have chickens, one has a flock of geese which seem to be free range, a few goats are evident, one pig was spotted this morning and one donkey. We are not sure what the donkey is used for.
The timetable was strange again this morning and I managed to miscalculate and one group did not get a winner in bingo as we could not finish. I have got to remember which group on Monday. Playtime was elongated to investigate the missing glasses, yesterdays caterers for the farewell came in with 40 and could only find 9. Things get moved in a fervent tidying up operation.
The children suddenly started marching, clapping and chanting round the playground and I could have sworn they were saying “Lessons, Lessons!” but the teacher laughed when I asked her. It was quite dramatic. Eventually it all settled down and I managed two quick groups before we left. As I went into the staff room some of the monitors were already cleaning. Each class has monitor and some of the older children are monitors and got special Thontis T shirts when they did the water presentation earlier this week which they are wearing very proudly every day. They look quite large. I finally caught up with Ntutu who was the very bright girl I worked with last time who wrote me a story. I was sure I recognized her and kept catching her eye in assembly and then losing her in the melee afterwards. She did remember me and we managed a quick chat. I shall try and find her again next week now I know I was correct.
Today is hot, 30 and less wind so hoping for the beach when the full time lot get home. I have sat outside with the local paper in the sun. It is interesting reading about Zuma in London from this end and the selected quotes from British newspapers. I saw him kicking a goal in Wembley on the news this morning!
The rain this week has replenished supplies so that World cup panic is reduced.

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