Below is my second to last newsletter of the 2014 - 2015 school year; I will send one more to parents and students on the last day of school. You will get an idea of how the year is closing out and some fun things we are doing. The large group picture is from our annual field trip to the caves, a couple of weeks ago.
Now that it is coming to the end of my third year of teaching at Dalat, and having the opportunity that has seldom happened in all the years of teaching of being able to be in the same position for more than 1 year, I am feeling much more confident in leading a class and also comfortable knowing the rhythm of the year and what is to be expected. Even though it has only been three years of teaching at Dalat (that have gone by incredibly fast), I feel a little bit like an "old-timer" as so many of my colleagues in the elementary school have gone on to other pastures and I am one of the teachers that has been teaching in the elementary school the longest. As of the end of this school year, of about 15 teaching staff and including the principal, I have been there the fourth longest; in other words, 11 elementary teachers have been there less than 3 years. That is a lot of turnover though I have heard that for an international school that is a low ratio. I don't think there has been that much turnover in the middle and high school.
I still love my job, even though it has stresses, and can't imagine doing anything else to earn my living and help to provide for our family. I can say that God has given me strength and joy every day, even on those many days when I really did not think I could make it through the morning, let alone a whole day. Some of the joy each day comes from seeing the sweet faces of my students every morning too. At the same time, I am looking forward to a rest after this final week of school coming up and the push of report cards due a week today. I am counting the days until the end of school and counting them also until we can go back for a visit in Canada, but I am also careful to enjoy every day here, a precious opportunity to live in Malaysia for which I am very thankful!
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