Monday 8th February –
After a relaxed weekend in the village back on the build this morning there was some unfinished business with the walling on the end walls. With the timbers needing to be put in above the top plates the Fijian guys were on site to help the team, and it was a slow and steady process. After lunch Steve and Benjy measured and marked for the first flooring piece to be laid, and tomorrow the flooring shall start.
In kindi I think the kids had enjoyed too much sugar over the weekend as they were absolutely buzzing and not concentrating quite as well as the team was hoping. Immi, Fi, Cat and Becky persevered, as they continued to practice recognising numbers, told stories with the pop up fish book, had outside play time with some duck duck goose action and of course practiced their epic dance medley.
In school today the new rota began, with Paskey going into class 3 to help Master Khan, Ashleigh Campbell starting in class 5 and Will taking on class 7. With Gavlar very keen to teach for two weeks Vicky was very happy to swap their rotas, and Gavlar therefore headed into class 4 to help Megan, the Latitude volunteer, with her excitable 25 kids! It was a good day, with all the team gaining confidence in the classroom. Paskey was reading story books with class 3 and leading art class, whilst Gareth taught past tense through diary writing. Ashleigh and Will also took English and Maths with their classes.
The sports coaching also rotated today, with Ultimate Frisbee and Volleyball replacing Cricket and Rounders, and the games were in full swing with Will celebrating wildly with his match winning volleyball team, whilst classes 3 & 4 tried out their Frisbee skills with Tom and Steve overseeing. In the afternoon there was touch for the guys as we draw closer to the Levuka 7s, and at the de-brief reminders we out to the quiz team that the big event was drawing closer. And of course with it being Monday night it was “dance night” in the shed, and so those having a few bowls had their dancing shoes on!
Tuesday 9th February –
This morning the flooring got underway, and naturally it took time for the pods to find their rhythm in measuring and cutting the floor timbers before having to push them tight together and nailing them in. By the afternoon things were running better, and with 7 pieces laid across we have our daily target of 14 per day to be laid, I am sure the team are up to the challenge!
In kindi this morning the team began with the name game and morning songs, before having story time and outdoor games. It was then the dance/meke practice which is a massive highlight of any morning, and they ended the morning practicing their numbers, hoping that the kids attention may be a little stronger after they had used up their extra energy..and it seemed to work! After break they had play time and colouring in, before it was time for ‘hand washing club’ and ‘teeth brushing club’. And of course there was a big game of sleeping lions before the kids made their way home. In school the team continued their assistance in the classrooms, with Will doing a speed test with class 7 in Maths, Paskey teaching class 3 The Grand Old Duke of York, and Gavlar teaching class 4 how to make tea, how very British! Ashleigh also took English and Maths with class 5.
Sports coaching in the afternoon saw Tom and Steve attempt to coach Frisbee to classes 1 and 2, not an easy task for anyone as the kids would run around all over the place passing the Frisbee to each other and tackling the opposite team when they had it. But they had fun, and that is the main thing. Volleyball with classes 7 & 8 worked well, with the kids splitting down into teams with Rob, Will and Vicky organising a mini tournament.
In the afternoon the rugby squad had a contact training session, and there were run outs for Will, Rob, Tom and Gareth in the 7s, with Will even darting through for a try. Tomorrow the guys will lead the training session, and there are some key areas they are hoping to focus on, including the use of overlaps and special awareness. With the squad for the tournament being picked next Monday there is allot to play for and the intensity is sure to rise over the next few days.
At the de-brief this evening it was once again time to choose our movie, and with the list narrowed down to 3 it was Bad Boys that won the day. And so after another very busy homework club in the evening, where the teams minds were tested almost as much as the kids, we headed over to Jesse’s for some dinner and Will Smith action.
Wednesday 10th February –
Today the team cracked on with the flooring, and after learning the art yesterday they worked very well in pods to ensure that 14 rows were pretty much completed. In the afternoon Immi and Sam also continued to measure, cut and plain the window sills ready to be nailed on.
In kindi they followed the daily plan, with Bulldogs popping up in outdoor games, which saw Naulu and Samu chasing each other around the whole rugby pitch! They also split into two groups to practice numbers, teaching the kids to count and recognise shapes. The team commented that it was a very good exercise as they were able to highlight where each child struggled, and then focus on how they can improve. After break time they had music, which always makes me smile as they whack up turned lego pots and water bottles, before collecting flowers for flower pressing in arts and crafts. And just before sleeping lions they had the pop up fish book out, I think Immi, Fi, Cat and Becky love the book just as much as the kindi kids! With the kindi team rotating on Monday at the de-brief Sam, Rob, Tom and Hannah put their hands up to show their interest, and so next week they will start in kindi.
In sports coaching it was time for classes 1 and 2 to try their hand at volleyball, whilst Frisbee became a little more competitive with classes 7 & 8. Lal and Hannah also continued football with 3 & 4, whilst Sam, Gavlar and Chris worked on rucking and passing in rugby with 5 & 6. Paskey and Immi are continuing to do a fantastic job introducing hockey to the students each day, I think the sports day could see some very close matches.
In rugby it was the kaivalagis who took charge of the session, after doing some dynamic stretching as a warm up the guys went into a 14 minute game of contact. They then began the coaching, using grids to do some very basic 2 on 1s, with Will, Rob and Sam stressing the importance of holding depth and drawing the man. The Fijian guys have a huge amount of natural talent, and the drills were there to offer some simple structure to that flair. The guys then increased the pressure on the attack as they moved into 3 on 2s, and as they ran it through the guys got better as executing the passes at the correct moment. To put the skills into the game scenario they used “the drop out game”, where the ball is kicked long and you have 8 attackers versus 3 defenders, with one touch. You then increase the defensive numbers to 4, then 5 and so on until the attack fail to score. Whilst it was largely successful, some basic areas were exposed when the defence drifted onto attacks who were not running straight and not drawing their men, there is allot for the guys to work on over the next few days if we are going to take the trophy at next weeks island competition.
In the evening it was quiz time, and this week it was the leaders who came home winners, finally fighting off “Team Gavlar” after a re-count from the judges. And with visitors from Niubasaga down the team then headed to the shed for a few bowls of grog and some “hop hop”, I think there will be some lazy heads on the project in the morning!
Thursday 11th February –
On the build today it was flooring, flooring, and more flooring for the team, whilst Jack and the Fijian guys set the posts for the three sets of steps at each door, digging the holes and concreting them in. Jack also finished the window sills in the afternoon, whilst Ashleigh Dexter, Tom and Becky began to make a medicine box for the village.
In kindi they were putting the final touches to the dance meke ready for tomorrow, and they also had outdoor games in the morning and practiced their numbers, with the kids really starting to recognise the numbers now. After break time there was finger painting which was allot of fun, the kids and team were very creative! In school the lessons are running really well, and the team enjoyed an afternoon off with Fijian classes being taken by the teachers. And in the afternoon sports was in full swing, with class 1 & 2 football proving a real spectacle to watch!
At rugby training there was touch played to look at combinations of players and get the guys using the skills that they were working on yesterday. The squad then went into speed work and fitness before working through a new warm down, the games are getting closer now just one week away.
This evening homework club ran as planned, after which the team made their way to the shed as we had Naicabecabe visiting the team and projects….a great excuse for huge amounts of food, bowls of grog and lots of dancing!
Friday 12th February –
It was business as usual on the build today with 13 more rows of flooring completed, and with 3m 70 laid this week, and with 4m 20 to be laid next week, we are looking good to be on target. Jack was also busy once again making the steps for the double doors at the front of the hall, an intricate job and one we are very happy to have Jack skills to complete to perfection!
In kindi the kids played the name game, practiced numbers and had outdoor sports as usual. It was also time for the dress rehearsal for their dance meke to pop songs, and although it didn’t go quite as planned we knew it would be alright on the night. After break they had story time with the fish book and played the hokey cokey to keep energy levels high, and at 11:30 they made their way to the shed for show time. The team came off the build and out of school to watch, and the kids and Immi, Fi, Cat and Becky did a fantastic job as they danced to Spice Girls, Grease and the Makarena! Parents were there to watch their children and show support, and before home time the girls gave the kids their flower press and finger painting that they had done during the week, they have done so so well. And with the kids on their way home the team had a “kindi handover” so that Sam, Rob, Hannah and Victoria are ready to hit the ground running on Monday morning.
In school the team were busy once again, with Paskey teaching class 3 how to round to the nearest tenth, whilst Ashleigh went through tenses in English with class 5. Gavlar was also working hard with class 4. With the doctors and dentists giving a school visit for all the children in the afternoon there was no sports coaching this afternoon, and the big house sports day will now take place in week 7.
In the evening it was once again “dance night” and so the guitars were playing in the shed, although after two nights of partying and the snorkelling excursion first thing tomorrow morning the team were taking it nice and easy!
Tags: fiji rugby, fiji teaching, Fiji volunteering, gap year Fiji
