My Last School Day

My last day at RMSI ended so quickly!

I was enjoying every minute of my time with the students.

I was helping them individually read a story entitled,

"What's for Breakfast?"

Students were learning words like, "breakfast, pancakes, cereal, and sweet." 

Many students already knew breakfast foods like, "biscuit, apple, orange, and banana."

All the students have learned so much and I have learned so much being with them! 

   

Later that day, all the teachers and staff gathered for a farewell lunch.

We ate an assortment of pizzas while American teachers were given 

a shirt, lanyard, yearbook, and a nice note from our teachers! 

It was like a mini-graduation!

Everyone was so nice. 

Below is Miss Mary and I on our last day together. 

After the school day, all the American teachers gathered together to show our WKU pride!

A special "thank you" to all who made this trip possible!
Thank you, WKU Sisterhood for providing us with your support.
Thank you, Dr. Fred Carter and Lillian Davis for all that you do behind the scenes!
This adventure in Spain has been a memory of a lifetime! 

Below are pictures of Nichole and I with our host-families! 

We went to Park Guell for our last afternoon together. 

While on the metro, the kids were enjoying a hand-clapping game of 

"Mrs. Mary Mack."

Need a refresher? The lyrics are here. 

The view was great! 

Great memories! 

Food

This week, the students have been learning about Africa. 

The students gathered around a classroom computer and saw pictures 

of the people, huts, and dances.

They also got to taste traditional food of Africa:

Breadsticks with Hummus Dip  

Below, the students were working on their passports to Africa! 

During our lunch break, I walked to a restaurant where they served BIG hamburgers!

Laura said she ate with Carlos there a lot before they were married. 

I had a good hamburger!.. I couldn't eat it all. 

Below is where I ate with the family on the weekend. 

I had bread with garlic, tomato, salt, and olive oil. 

Then, I had a Catalan dish of pasta; my favorite. In Spanish, it's canelones. 

Along with the pasta, the family ordered me goat ribs.

I was pleasantly full, ha ha!! 

Below are more highlights of the weekend!

Since I am a girl who loves shoes, I bought new flats! I love them. 

To finish off our big meal, we all had ice cream! Can you believe we had room?!

After our big meal, we went to a beautiful beach with beautiful flowers. 

Pleasant weekend. 

My month in Spain is ending too soon..

Sagrada Familia

 I finally made a visit to the Sagrada Familia!

Sagrada Familia is the top visited place in Spain.  

According to the news, the final completion date is said to be in the next 15 years.

When the church is finished, it will have 18 towers; 

12 to the apostles, 4 to the evangelists, 1 to Jesus and another to Mary. 

Evan and I made it to the top of the "Torre Naixement" tower. 

Stairs

The ceiling

Different shades of stone can be seen on the pillars. 

This is because there are differences in weight the pillars have to hold. 

The building is build with six different types of stone.

The building was started in 1882.

Since Gaudi's death in 1926, construction slowed down. 

There had been lack of funds and an outbreak of Civil War. 

It was during the Civil War (1936) that most of Gaudi's plans were destroyed. 

According to a website, he was constantly improvising and changing designs during construction. 

A Weekend of Rain

Barcelona has been very wet and overcast lately.

Even though it was overcast on Saturday, I

toured Galdi's "Casa Batllo," as seen below. 

Gaudi's style is modern and it resembles a lot of nature. 

Gaudi is unique because in his day, he was recognized as being a great artist and architect. 

My audio-guide said that after his death by a train hit, people were saddened as they followed his casket down the streets of Barcelona. 

Above, the house looks like the ocean and the ribs of an animal. 

Above, Gaudi's house resembles the spine of a dragon. The roof is thought to be inspired by the legend of Sant Jodi.

Above are the souvenirs from my visit. 

Sunday evening, my friends and I went to see traditional Spanish dance and singing. The show was entitled, "Opera y Flamenco." It was spectacular! 

Before the show, we ate crepes nearby. I had chocolate walnut crepe, Nichole had chocolate strawberry crepe, and Evan had chocolate and ice-cream crepe! 

Our show started at 9:30 pm and ended around 11:00 pm. Below is the beautiful inside of the Palau De La Musica where we saw our show! 

Beautiful place and beautiful show! 

Below is a short video of what the traditional dance was like. 

Embracing the Culture

While at CRMSI, I have been embracing the culture. 

Students at CRMSI come from families who are being affected by an economic crisis. 

Students are using what they have and are using their resources sparingly.

The first thing students do when they arrive in their classrooms is put on their smocks and pray. The smocks are used to protect their clothes from school play and activities.   

The students keep their school supplies organized in zipped pouches and their school books in cubbies.

The classrooms have their own library organized from student's books from home.

  

Barcelona is a big city with a close community. 

I love seeing mothers out having an hour and a half coffee together.

After school, parents are talking to teachers while kids are playing on the playground.

Even though the 1st grade boys have similar likes such as, football, motorbikes, and puzzles, they are their own, unique person. The pictures below clearly show that a simple task, such as decorating a robot, can look very different!    

Today, the students were introduced to the seven continents of the world including Antarctica, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. It was fun watching the students guess at the locations!   

Today, Mrs. Laura took me to the "Palau De La Musica." The opera house is showing an ongoing, successful production of, "Opera y Flamenco" next week! Since Barcelona is expecting a lot of rain, I'm hoping to attend the performance.  

Below are pictures from the Cathedral of Barcelona (La Seu). 

Below are pictures from a boat ride.

 I have less than two weeks left in Barcelona! I am embracing every moment of it. 

Sant Jordi's Day

Today was a special day because it was Saint George's Day.
There is an old legend that dates back to the 13th century.
Saint George was a knight who saved a princess from a dragon.
From the dragon's wounds came a deep red rose.
This rose was given to the princess.
As a tradition, the girls are given roses and the boys are given books.

Below are pictures from Saint George's day at school. It was like a Valentine's celebration.

Making roses

Miss Mary and I with our treat. 

This was a cool pop-up book. 

I bought the book seen above since it goes along with the celebration. The story is written in Catalan but I had Sofia translate it to English. 

Below is where I went to lunch near the school. Chocolate-Box had cakes decorated for the celebration!

Below is a book-selling that was seen all over Barcelona. 

Below, students are reading the books they brought to school. 

Above, a student is making a "come cocos" (head-eater), which is a paper folding game. I have been using this game to help the students with their English. 

Above, students are also playing a game of "tail on the dragon." The students are using their English skills to help their partner connect the tail to the dragon. 

A student's coloring

The whole city of Barcelona was full of books, roses, and celebration!

Happy Sant Jordi's Day!