End of school year coming up

It's official: the school year will end on Thursday June 14th.

One unusual thing about school here is that teachers are paid 13 months salary a year. They are paid during the summer, and, like other employees in this country, they receive a Christmas bonus of a full month's salary.

"Veta," our deaf teacher, having just begun with us in April, isn't entitled to full summer pay yet. She has chosen the option of continuing to work while the others are off, so that she'll have a summer salary.

It will be a blessing to have someone to work alongside me, as I won't be able to go to the States at all this summer. We will be continuing curriculum development, printing up books, and making some home visits, among other things.

My move is mostly complete, although there is still plenty to unpack. Moving involves some different things when you live in the DR. For one thing, you don't usually just turn off your electricity. Instead, you sell your contract with the electric company to the next person coming in. This includes the cost of the electric meter that you actually purchased from the previous occupant when you came in. The phone company does something similar if you want it, asking you to pass on your phone service to a friend or relative if you don't want to take it with you.

Normally when you move, you take everything, down to the light bulbs.

Weather? Hot and humid. It has been raining off and on for two days, and the forecasters promise a similar week, with scattered thunder showers. This is important, because it usually means low attendance, our students mostly arriving on public transportation.

The National School is telling us they will be sending more students over for next school year. Oh my! What will we do with them?! We are considering if we need to move. Our space is one factor that will limit our growth, if we stay in this location. Of course we don't even have permission to stay yet, but anticipate approval.