I just love this exchange between past and future volunteers with the occassional interupt from Kate our placement director – ie she who is responsible for matching, screening and preparing volunteers….you need to scan to the end and read backwards for it to make sense….names apart from kates have been removed to spare blushes!

From: kate

Sent: 03 May 2012 13:37
To: ‘E
Subject: RE: publicity

Thanks E – I shall pass on the praise to Sallie, as I have to admit that she works at least as hard as I do on the whole publicity cycle !

From: ESent: 03 May 2012 09:42

To: kate; ‘S,’L;  and y
Cc: ‘n
Subject: RE: use of resources

You work very hard at publicity, Kate, and your energy is amazing. I do hope that it all pays dividends in attracting volunteers to your projects.

All good wishes,

E

From: kate

Sent: 02 May 2012 15:49
To: E, S; L and Y
Cc: n
Subject: RE: use of resources

But there’s been plenty about realities, challenges, rewards – and teaching !!!

So watch out ladies – another article is looming large !!!

Thanks everyone

Kate

From: E
Sent: 02 May 2012 15:05
To: kate; ‘S,’L;  and y
Cc: ‘n
Subject: RE: use of resources

Good to hear from you again, Kate. I bet you sit there and smile as you read the messages that fly among us all. And your eagle eye is probably also looking for bits that you can include in some future article! I’m sorry there hasn’t been anything recently about yaks or thigh muscles, but you never know….

Regards,

E

From: kate
Sent: 02 May 2012 14:57
To: kate; ‘S,’L;  and y
Cc: ‘n
Subject: RE: use of resources

Hello everyone – Kate adding her 2-cents’worth !

It may be of little consolation, ladies, but absolutely every project we ever work with begins by treating resources (such as the contents of the trunk) as precious treasures to be handled with care – if at all …

BUT – rest assured that by repetition of volunteers’ comments, input and training things DO change !!! albeit, slowly !!!

Another classic case of ‘every little helps’, to quote a particular supermarket’s tag line !!!

Keep up the good work everyone!

Best wishes

Kate

From: E
Sent: 02 May 2012 14:02
To: kate; ‘S,’L;  and y
Cc: ‘n‘; kate
Subject: RE:

It’s good to know that the airport scramble is no longer necessary!

It’s sad that S wants to have the Wheels on the Bus fixed, if you see what I mean! Part of the joy of it is to be spontaneous and use different actions and words. But I guess that too is a result of the rigidity of the system. And sad that she has not got the idea that stuff in the box is to be used. That’s something that will have to be plugged away at, I suppose. You are doing good work with the Hungry Caterpillar and I hope that the teachers can see the point of what you are doing and realise that it is possible to teach useful knowledge in a brighter way than by rote learning and class recitations.

I am looking forward to hearing more in due course, but all good wishes in the meantime.

E

I’m going off to York for a short break next week, so you’ll have to rely on L and Nicki for replies to anything you send. I don’t know how to access my e-mails from a distance; I’m not intending to take my lap-top, and I don’t think my mobile phone is up to that sort of intricacy!

From: S
Sent: 02 May 2012 13:20
To: L; y
Cc: E ;n; Kate Stefanko
Subject: Re:

The forms may have changed – as I said, I was given them on the plane, not at the airport, and my passport has been stamped very clearly with my date of arrival.  I was not given any piece of paper to retain until I leave as the date is in my passport.  Thank you E for letting me know about paying to leave.

Today I had my first one to one with nursery Saradha:  She insisted that I write all the verses to the Wheels on the Bus out fully and then she put the paper in the trunk.  D and I have explained that the materials in the trunk are for them to use.  I have used the Hungry Caterpillar with 3 classes today (Living and non-living things, living things grow).Y I have found some Blutak in the box, don’t add it to your weight!

From: L

To: y
Cc: E; n; S; Kate Stefanko
Sent: Wednesday, 2 May 2012, 11:51
Subject: Re:

E has a much better memory than me- I’d completely forgotten about needing money to leave the country! The form filling at Kathmandu airport is a bit chaotic but just follow everyone else and you’ll be fine. Once you exit the airport you’ll be very well looked after by the Tiger Mountain rep.

Saradha ( local teacher) always enjoyed ‘the wheels on the bus’ – it’s just a matter of thinking up lots of actions that the children will understand. Simple action games along the lines of ‘Simon Says’ might work. We played kim’s game and ‘what’s in the bag’  with moderate success – the key is to keep these sessions short – I’m afraid that you’ll find that Saradha wants to keep going long after the children have lost interest.

If I have any brainwaves I’ll let you know!

L

From: y

To: E ; S ; N ; L

Thank you E for all the information about the form-filling etc and the money to leave the country.  It’s a bit daunting travelling alone but I’m OK so long as I know what’s happening and where I’m going!  There’s always the unexpected though.

I hadn’t got The farmer’s in his den down in my little book.  I keep adding to the list.  The words to the song keep changing here – and they don’t pat the dog anymore!

My daughters are holding a Nepal charity night next week for me, they’re having a jewellery stall, cake stall and a raffle.  So whilst I was baking cakes this morning I decided to weigh all the things that I’m taking for school.  It was quite an eye opener.  Each whiteboard weighs 85g !  So I’ve now got a pile of things that I’m NOT taking.  It’s really difficult when people keep giving you things.

Speak again soon

Y