International Family Fun Night

VCS students, their families and school staff celebrated the diversity of our school at International Family Fun Night. Families brought food and wore traditional clothing from their countries. The elementary classrooms were transformed into different countries, including Romania, Peru, Egypt and Ethiopia. Kids traveled from one country to another, getting mock passports stamped as they went. Then everyone packed out the A.P. Room for a talent show. Students performed songs, dances and instruments from their countries. In this photo, one of my students proudly demonstrated an African dance with other members of the African Club. What a rich evening of cultural experiences! We now have over 40 nationalities represented at our school.

Regaining Energy in Ljubljana

This week was Energy Break, which means all the Austrian schools take a break so students can go skiing with their families. These three friends and I found some cheap train tickets to Ljubljana, Slovenia. It was a beautiful city, covered in snow. We saw the major sites, including the castle (can you find Amanda?). We tried Slovenian food and enjoyed talking with friendly shop owners. We also drank plenty of hot chocolate and laughed a lot.

On our last day in Slovenia, we took a bus ride out to a picturesque lake called Lake Bled. There is an island with a small castle at the far end of the lake. Mel and I were acting goofy while the swans and ducks swam close by, hoping for a treat.

Ice Skating Fun

The Elementary students have begun our ice-skating field-trips for the year. We go 4 times as a part of our PE curriculum. Here's my buddy Alonso learning to skate in the penguin rink. Below, Miss Kidd has fun skating with the first graders.

Skating makes us hungry! My fifth graders paused for a snack break before hitting the ice again.

FIlipino Benefit Concert

Some of our Philipino students at school organized a benefit concert to raise money for their country, which is still trying to recover from devastating floods in 2009. Two other teachers and I wore our flood pants and contributed to the concert. All in all, the students raised over 400 Euro for the Filipino Relief Fund.