Christmas is Here

On the Twelfth day of Quarantine...

In October we went into our second wave of lockdown and all schooling went to online. Online teaching has been an adventure but I was thrilled when we got to go back into the classroom at the end of November. It started slowly with only primary grades one and two. But by the first week of December all of our elementary were back in the school building. Face masks were mandatory but we soldiered through. 

Yet, our time in the classroom came to an abrupt end when we had a student's family test positive for Covid-19 and we were all put into quarantine. I didn't have any time to prepare as we got the call to stay at home late in the evening. So back to online learning for the last two weeks of school.

I missed not doing the normal Christmas festivities. Ornament making, and Christmas parties and Christmas programs.

I had to be creative with out Christmas performance of the Christmas story from Luke 2 as we never got a chance to recite it together. The students recorded their reciting of their verses and I stitched them together with pictures they illustrated the day before we went into quarantine.

Our high school choir also did two recordings.

Covid-19 at Christmas

This Christmas the pandemic has brought many changes. One of the saddest for me was no Christmas markets. The squares are bare asides from the lone Christmas tree and nativity.

Traditionally I join some friends for our annual day trip to Germany to enjoy the Christmas Markets. Alas this year markets are a no go. However, lack of Christmas markets did not slow our cheer or stop us from enjoying our Christmas market traditions. We still froze our toes and noses and hit up the farmer's markets that were happening, picked us up some sausage and smoked cheese and enjoyed our market treats from the comfort of home. Not exactly the same but we put on some Czech Christmas carols and made the best of it.

Covid-19 restrictions are a roller coaster and we are convinced that decisions are made by the spinning of the Wheel-of-Covid to decide what restrictions will be in place this week.

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat.... this week restaurants will close but large grocery stores and malls will stay open. You can still get delivery from the window and eat it near the establishment, as long as you aren't around people who don't already live in your home.

I will be spending Christmas with friends who are my adopted family here. 

Even though things look very different this year we will not lose sight of the reason we gather together and celebrate, the birth of our Saviour. Thankful we have the opportunity to spread the good news!

Plans what plans?

 My Plans are Not My Own

When we last left off it was July. I arrived back in Prague on July 21st and hit the ground running, and I haven't stopped! I was gearing up to teach grade two and my new classroom was nearing being all set up. Bulletin boards ready, desks in place, planning nearing completion I was almost all set to go. 

However, we were still in desperate need of a 5th grade teacher. I sat down with our leadership team trying to find a way to piecemeal schedules do get enough teachers to cover the grade 5 classes. In the end it looked like grade 5 would have up to 7 teachers and even some classes having two different teachers teaching it. This was not going to work. In walks our amazing grade one teacher (who was hired to teach grade one while I was on home assignment) with the offer to take on grade 5 if we had someone for grade one. It was not my desire to do a split class but the grade one class only had 6 students and the grade 2 class had 10. Teaching 16 grade ones and twos I have done before. So 5 days before the first day of school I was moving classrooms again, setting up shop back in my old room and gearing up to teach 16 grade ones and twos!

 

 

 

Needless to say it has been a busy start to the year. Along with balancing ever changing Covid-19 restrictions I have had my hands full. Yet I have been holding everything with open hands. We praised the Lord for each day that we were allowed to hold class in the school building. In October the Czech Republic saw a rapid increase in covid-19 cases and restrictions began to steadily tighten. High schools were the first to be mandated to online shortly followed by middle school. Elementary went to online classes on October 14. The country has now been declared in a state of emergency until December 2. We are under curfew, no one to leave their houses between 9pm and 5am, except for emergencies, returning from work and walking your dog within 500m of your home. Daily outings are restricted to essentials, grocery shopping, medical visits, and work.

Online teaching is definitely not one of  my favourite things but it allows for opportunities to reach whole families that classroom teaching can not. We are now present in our students' homes. Their parents are hearing their lessons and interacting with what their child is learning. Especially when it comes to the Bible and our scripture memory. Families are participating in hearing our chapel talks and Bible lessons. Teaching online is difficult but God is using every seed planting opportunity to bring glory to his kingdom.

Outside the Classroom 

Even covid-19 is not going to keep me down. I managed before restrictions tightened to have a thanksgiving celebration.

Although I did not get to travel for my fall break I was able to get out of the house before lock-down fully had gone into effect and got to see the lovely Fall colours.

Please keep the Czech Republic in your prayers. The first time through lock down in March the people were rather compliant and calm but this time around people are a little more edgy. Riots have take place in the city centre and the overall feeling is one of tiredness and wanting it all to be over. Death toll is on the rise and flattening the curve seems a long way off. We don't know when schools will reopen and longer term online seem inevitable at this point. Please pray especially for our students who are learning English and can not have the help of their parents with their school work.