Schools and City

     I hope you are all well and taking care of each other.  I finally have shaken out the shivers of the last few days, although yesterday was the coldest for us.  We conducted a street survey with Pre-IB students at the European College.  One day was about 15 degrees (Fahrenheit), but we bundle up. Students broke into groups of four and asked pedestrians what their opinions were on the American influence in Polish culture.  The five groups targeted five different areas, geography and language, stereotypes, music, food, and clothing.  I have heard some of what they found, but on Monday, they will put all of the parts together and give us the total picture using statistics.  At the end of the two hours outside we hit McDonald's because it was the only place big enough to seat everyone.  I had the McCroissant.
     So far we have seen two schools, both IB certified.  One school is primarily attended by Polish people whose parents want to send them to the best colleges.  Some of the students were a bit shy to speak in front of us with the exception of the class of fourteen year olds.  They were fantastic as they told us which foods to to try, where to go, what they do in their free time (chill, play computer games, talk on the phone),  Everyone had a cell phone.  The funniest thing they told us were some of the unique Polish holidays Smingus Dyngus and Fat Thursday.  Smingus Dyngus can last for several days, or even a week.  After Easter, young people hide all around the city with buckets of water.  One day the young men douse girls, other days women douse men.  Sometimes people get hit with water on their way back from church.  It is tied to the themes of baptism, but as one student described it, his eyes shinning, "It is the craziest, funniest holiday ever."  (And then I could imagine him hiding in the bushes somewhere waiting for a pretty, dressed up girl to walk by.) Fat Tuesday is "great" because everyone tries to eat everything they can, especially doughnuts.  They told us these are not like the doughnuts in the states, they don't have holes and are full of cream and rose jelly.  The purpose is to have one last enjoyment before Lent starts.
     Ask yourself these questions:  Would you like to be in a class of nine people?  Would you like to be in  the same classroom all day?  Classes here are often smaller in these private schools, but classrooms are as well.  In one school, the students stay in the same place and the teachers move.  It is customary for teachers to read grades out loud, and students are scored on a 1-6 scale, 6 being the best of course.  In the IB program, students must take their classes in English up to 70-75%.  How would you feel about taking Physics in Spanish?   Much is similar, like when students move to see a video better, girls will often pile up on one chair sitting on each others' laps.  And sometimes, when students struggle with an assignment, the teacher finds a way for them to finish it.  For, example, Anna is a Geography teacher.  One class is working on service learning projects where they "adopt" a foreigner, helping them adjust to the city.  Several students have had amazing experiences, but four were stuck, so we became their project.  They met us afterschool, having researched several sites and showed us around Krakow, each taking a different location.  I miss you!

Love,
Mrs. Daly