Student Pics

TIME FOR ENGLISH

Well, now that I am back, here are some photos of the students, new and old! So far the new class is all guys, eight of them, which means that the boys house is full with Andrey still living there. The three guy grads have moved into their apartment, which has a real electricity hookup as of Wednesday, When they moved in a couple weeks ago they still had to use the extension cord from the neighbor's house we used during construction. They were cooking once a day at the nearby new house group home, the one remodeled the year before.



The new guys were all very excited when I handed out Winnipeg Jets hats and gloves that the team brought from Steinbach last spring. All but one guy posed for photos.

You will notice we are having class in our new large room which is in the other side of the building where the apartments for the grads are. This is the building remodeled by the teams from Steinbach and Salmon Arm this spring. Pretty much everything is finished in the classroom and two apartments, the ones the guys and girls are living in. The small studio apartment will not be used this year.

the outside of the building

Two of the boys, Samson ( another Kolya) and Dima, designed and built steps for the classroom. Garry plans to add a deck back here someday. Maria took a photo of them on their handiwork the first day of school.

Samson, Dima and two Loshas
(one is going by Alexi which is the name that Losha is the nickname for) 

Interesting fact: we discovered our original Kolya has siblings because he has twin brothers Misha (he likes Micheal in English class, he told me) and Vasili, or Vashsa who joined us this year. They look and sound very much like him, but they are not as tall.

The twins with Dima

Kolya goofing around with Vasili for the camera

This week Luba and Vova hosted male and female only night at their respective houses on Tuesday. I attended the girls one and got some photos.
 There was food, fun and crafts, and a talk about how men and women are different.(Maria translated for me).

Luba during her talk

The girls did quilling and made hearts

How do you do it?

 Vika, one of this month's birthday girls, is 20

Her sister Oksana turned 19 a week later

Night school

Garry sent me a few photos of the students

Here's the nine (six second year and three grads- I see Sasha, Julia and Karina) at their night school class, they have class three times a week in Dnepro. Looks like Andrey, Ira, Oksana in the front row. Vika, Julia Valentina and Leila right behind them.

It looks like Garry is teaching hoof trimming to the second year students, just like last year. I assume the first year students are starting with dairy cattle judging and learning the parts of a cow.

New school year

Pizza party

Garry has started the new school year this week with the students. We have seven boys in the first year of the program, and eight students returning for the second year.
 We have been looking for a way to get the students better diplomas, and the village school was not an option because they are over 18 and  have handicapped on their passports. Everyone in Ukraine over the age of 16 carries a passport which is an official ID document, not for leaving the country. This week they found a school in Dnepro so the second year students can upgrade their diplomas. They will be traveling to Dnepro several times a week to study starting Thursday. Garry said our graduates, Julia and Karina want to go too.
Why? Almost all of our students came out of "handicapped" orphanages and did not get a full education, but if they get regular grade nine diplomas they will be eligible to go to any trade school they want next year.