Day 15 Slice of Life – Al Raja School: 120 Years Old

Our school is 120 years old this year. Al Raja School was the first private school in the Kingdom of Bahrain. We’ve been using the 120 years as a theme throughout the school year in celebration of this milestone. Today, though, it just was a sad reminder that the students are not in school.

We were going to have a carnival two weeks ago, and one of the activities I was responsible for was the 120 Museum. We had a little room that would be decorated with collections of 120 items. The students were just bringing in items when school was cancelled for a month due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Today as I was spring cleaning in my classroom, I looked at all the items and took a few pictures. Recently we got word that the carnival will be cancelled altogether this year.

Some of the items that would have been in our 120 Museum.

I posted a video explaining today’s lesson on what would have been our 120th day of school, a day we had planned to celebrate. I wore my shirt that had 120 ponytail holders sewn on, but the day wasn’t celebratory at all. I was a bit sad and lonely in my classroom.

The lesson today was about our project 120 ARS Stories, a book we are writing. Students are turning interviews into stories today, at home. They had done the interviews of siblings, relatives, teachers, and others affiliated with our school.

Can you see my 120 ponytail holder shirt?

I cleaned off our bulletin board, removing students One Words for 2020. Now the bulletin board is ready for new creations that they will bring back after our break. I can’t wait!

 

 

13 thoughts on “Day 15 Slice of Life – Al Raja School: 120 Years Old

  1. So many disappointments happening right now. Life as we know it has been disrupted. Sending you a virtual hug and appreciating all that you do for kids!

  2. How nice that you can still share this with them! In our province it has been decided that posting work online is unfair to the students who don’t have access to internet at home, therefore nobody is getting anything. I’m worried about even posting a “hello” video at this point! I might rebel and do it anyway in a week or so.

    I love this 120 day celebration. There are some clever ideas there!

    1. That is so difficult, Lisa. I’m sorry to hear that. It would be so awesome if instead they could help those without access get access.

  3. So sad to think of the lonely classrooms right now – but so important that we are keeping kids safe!

  4. Sounds like it would’ve been a great day. It is unfortunate you were unable to share it with your students.

  5. I hear the sadness about this lost (or delayed or rejiggered) opportunity, and I also see the persistence involved in making the best of it, with eyes towards what next steps might follow for you and your students. I’m also marveling at the 120th anniversary occasion as the school where I teach i celebrating just its 20th birthday.

    1. Thank you, Brian. Yes. We know it will improve, so we will persist. Congratulations on your 20th anniversary. It has been exciting to be a small part of the 120 years’ history of this special place.

  6. The 120 Museum sounds like something I would enjoy walking through. And I bet your students were brimming with excitement when they brought their things in. And then for it to be cancelled is quite unfortunate.

    1. Thank you, Anna. Yes, we are experiencing too many cancellations these days. We are in our third week of this, so It’s becoming a little easier.

  7. Hopefully you can recreate this memory for them with them present in a few weeks.

    1. Thanks, Noora. I have been working on plans to use Zoom next week to be able to meet them and celebrate other things that have been happening. I will look forward to coming together again. I pray it will be this year!

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