Volunteer Update: Bob in Sri Lanka II

You may have seen our last instalment from Bob, who is currently in Sri Lanka (for the third time with VESL!), if not make sure you check it out here! We received a lovely email from Priyanthi, the English Teacher, at the school Bob has been placed in just after Bob’s last update:

He [Bob] has become a great help for us teachers and the students. Now the students are very enthusiastic  to learn English… Thank you for sending us a hard working teacher.
Now Bob has kindly shared another update with us, including what happened when he went to visit the school he was placed in last year.
Pupils taking down this weeks words for their self-made dictionaries

Pupils taking down this weeks words for their self-made dictionaries

There is such a buzz about the school and Priyanthi and I are coming up with new initiatives every week. We had 84 entries for our last English quiz. I think our next big thing is going to be a Grade 5 spelling competition. The last Grade 5 scholarship results were disappointing we thought we would focus on the new Grade 5 from January to when I leave at the end of March. We are also going to start an after school class Learning English through drama, poetry and song. This will be a big help when we put on an English concert for pupils and parents.

Grade 8 were the first to hear that a new batch of First News newspapers had arrived in the English room

Grade 8 were the first to hear that a new batch of First News newspapers had arrived in the English room

I visited [my previous] primary [school placement] and this year they had a record number of pupils passing the Grade 5 scholarship exam. The English teachers were kind enough to say that Jean and I were very much responsible for the improvement in the English component of the exam because we gave the pupils confidence and took away their fear of English. I always worried about leaving a legacy but when I went round [the school] it was nice to see in every classroom the day and date in English on every blackboard.

Bob is working with the school and another VESL volunteer, Jake, to put on an English Concert and English Day for the school he is currently placed at. We are looking forward to hearing how it goes!

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