Happy Easter!

We're finally near some relatively speedy internet so we thought we'd try to get some more pictures of Orealla up on the net. Sorry they're a little dark... they seem to be posting better on flicker, so here's the link to our more detailed album on that webpage: http://www.flickr.com/photos/54808715@N00

We just found out the school year has been extended (for various unexplainable reasons) two weeks. So our last day of school will likely be July 13. It looks like we'll probably be back in the states to visit in late July. We'll keep you posted on additional changes! Thanks for your continued support!

The first pictures show you some of the stages of our library-building project. We hope to open the school library in mid-April. Thanks to all of you who've donated books, bookmarks, library cards, and more!

Movie Night (at our house powered by a borrowed generator) for 8th graders who completed their regional projects on time

Popcorn provided courteousy of Grandma DeVries. It was a little tricky making it on a camping stove but the kids seemd to like the result.

S'mores & Movie Night w/Library Aides & IT Leaders (thanks for the chocolate, Ahlia!)

Valentine's Dinner.Flowers picked fresh from the savannah! Other decorations courteousy of Brand/VZ families (napkins, candy, candle holders, etc).

Thomas and our good friend, Mitchell (who also built the bookshelves for the library) during a trumpet lesson

Grade 8 students working on their Regional Project. The projects remind us of science fair type of work but occur in all four core subjects at the same time and samples have to be sent to the Region for evaluation.

Above and below our pics from our Mashramani Picnic Day (kinda like the 4th of July but the homeroom teacher is supposed to plan the activities). Carrie's class decided to go on a hike to a local creek. No surprise, huh?

No Iditarod Down Here and no internet to check on the status of mushers... but least red lanterns are abundant and well-used as one of the only sources of light at night in the village. (This will probably only make sense to last year's seventh graders... ask them to translate for you!)