First Days

I spent Sunday coming up with a plan for the year. I forgot how much there was to decide on: rules, procedures, consequences/rewards, late work policies, make up policies, bathroom policies, tardy policies, grading system, overall classroom management strategy, etc. So much work. Next on my to-do was lesson planning. For the first week, we aren’t supposed to “teach.” Since class sizes and student schedules are in major flux for the first week, we have to fill our time with going over rules, get-to-know-you games, and pre-assessments. My school is on block scheduling so filling up an hour and twenty minute period will fluff is a bit challenging. 

Monday, yesterday, was my first day! To look extra spiffy for the occasion, I wore my puletasi! The puletasi is a 2 piece outfit that is considered formal attire for women. Mine is much more modern and young since it has very small sleeves and only goes just past my knees. Most women’s are more traditional and are floor length and have sleeves going to at least mid arm. All puletasis are custom made. I picked out my fabric then took it to a seamstress to sew. I did all the designing, though. It’s definitely a fun part of the culture!

I got to school by 6:30a so I would have 2 hours to finish setting up and prepping. We started the morning off with a 2+ hour assembly to welcome the students, go over changes, and hand them their schedules. So when the bell finally rang to go to 1st period, I was excited to great all my students....... But only 3 came. I went and asked one of the vice principals about this, and she explained most of the students weren’t reregistered correctly and were being sent home. During lunch Max and I walked to a restaurant across the street, and the village was filled with Samoana students in their blue and white uniforms waiting at the bus stops and just hanging around. I couldn’t believe it. The students got up early, came to school, had on their uniforms, and yet they were still being sent home! Students are supposed to come up to the school with their parents and a pile of forms and documents in the 2 weeks prior to the start of the school year. If they miss a form or a signature, they are not notified. But on the first day of school, they don’t receive a schedule. It just puzzled me how the administration would send so many students home when they clearly wanted to be at school.

Today, Tuesday was the same way. All my classes still had only 3-4 students! And hundreds of kids were turned away from school for the second day in a row. It’s frustrating for me to see so many kids forced to go home when they want to be getting an education. It sends such mixed messages!