Children's Day

Thursday, April 4th was Children's Day so we had a holiday! Woohoo!  And on Wednesday I showed up at school and was informed that there were going to be special activities all morning for Children's Day.  In fact it was starting in just a little while with a fun run.  The only problem is that the words fun and run are oxymorons in my book and my LET suggested I could run with the 5th graders (their class is one of the most fun ones).  I asked if she was running, but no, she was standing at one of the corners of the course directing kids where to go.  I tried to get a job like that too so I wouldn't have to run but to no avail.  I was leaning towards declining (I just really don't like running!) but then she said the student who has leg braces and who has to use a walker was doing it, so I would be okay.  I felt like I needed to do it after that...

And so I ran the fun run.  It was a struggle, but I made it.  It didn't help that all the other grades had just gone once around the course so I thought that was all I needed to do but as I neared what I thought was the end, I noticed the lead kids going around a second time.  I hoped that I would be able to discreetly stop after once around (in my exhaustion forgetting that the only foreign teacher in a tiny school can't "discreetly" do anything).  But as all the other students and teachers began cheering "Teacher Charissa!! Teacher Charissa!! Jia you!!!  I found some inner strength to keep running (at least while I was within their line of vision!)

Anyway, once I had recovered from the run, the jump roping was starting.  Jump roping is much more up my alley so I went to go check it out.  I thought it was going to be some kind of competition, but it was just like half an hour of jump roping fun.  So I just moseyed around between groups and joined in the jumping, sometimes twirling the rope for other jump ropers.  I joined it with a huge group of 5th graders to see who could jump the longest (and won!) so I was feeling pretty good.

The last activity we did was have all the students make paper airplanes to throw off the second floor.  I think they were supposed to write their hopes and dreams on them and it was something about letting your dreams fly.  Anyway, whatever it was, it was super exciting for everyone (especially the first and second graders whose classrooms are only on the first floor).  And after they threw them down everybody spent a few minutes just throwing the airplanes around and at each other.  I was constantly turning around to small voices yelling "Teacher Charissa!" and an airplane would come flying my way.  Everyone was in good spirits and it was a really fun day!