An Anti-climactic Last Day

 

Tata, Dela, and the five children who came to school today

I thought that it would be a tearful day, but I was wrong. Today, the last day of kindergarten, was much like any other and I was almost happy to leave!

Cultural differences struck again as I realized this was the last day. The Togolese government website says that July 15 is the last day of school, so I expected to be leaving the children still in school. Instead, Tata informed me--and them--on Friday that they should come Monday (today) for the last day of school. The kids were overjoyed that the year would be over and most of them started summer vacation early and stayed home today. As you can see in the picture above, only five of them came.

Tata and the other teachers were busy correcting papers from last week's "compositions," the final exams. So all the kids were playing. The five little ones and I stayed in their room for a while. I entertained them by showing them pictures and videos of class throughout the school year. Then I suggested we go sit outside to watch the other children playing. It was a move with mixed success. The kids and I enjoyed being out in the cooler air (me) and more active play (them). But when Dela arrived with the refreshments for a little party, we suddenly had a few uninvited guests--the younger brothers and sisters (not yet in school) who had come with their older siblings. I felt terrible for making them leave, but we didn't have enough for the whole school, so I told them it was just for the kindergarten kids.

They had Cheese Balls and KoolAid for a snack. Then I called each one to my side so that I could take a selfie with them and told them that I was proud of them for learning ____ this year. I gave them a little gift bag, assembled with the help of US church friends and my sister. Then we left. Tata took all the other gift bags to distribute to the others. She says they will come next week.  I don't quite get that, but we'll see!

A sample gift bag. Each one contained 8 crayons (I think!), 2 pieces of chalk, a coloring book, a little French phrase book to color and a Bible story book.