2019

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The excitement of the upcoming assembly has set into place at school. Finishing touches to our bilingual books that we are creating and showcasing has been added. Rehearsal is now on the schedule. The boys and I headed out to the local dumpling shop with Tim, (an elderly, well-travelled man who contains unbelievable amounts of knowledge and wisdom) in order to gain a greater insight into his life. With Madams accompanying us a few tables down, and us eagerly eating away, Tim shared his travels, stories, pictures and his favourite creators. After buying some of Tim’s book recommendations at one of the only book stores in town, we headed back to the hotel. With full stomachs, we huddled on to the bus once more. Our friendly driver installed more seatbelts in order to allow the whole group to ride in the bus together. The teachers adore the ruckus of banter, singing and laughing. In the afternoon I, along with Ben, Jazzy and Cathy Holt, went to the Salt Fields to teach at the school. The long and tiring few hours were filled by squabbles, songs, confusion and one child pooing their pants. We all headed back to CLS to commence night school.

Tamsin J

December 10 Tuesday

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Practice, practice, practice was the motto for today, but I’ll get to that later.

We spent another amazingly filled day at CLS, welcomed by the beautiful smiles and voices of our students. There never fails to be many kids waiting at the school gate for us to arrive, getting ready to throw a big wave. All keen, excited and ready to learn. My day at the school begun with one of my students coming up and tapping me on the shoulder. She opened her backpack and pulled out a beautiful red paper rose that she had carefully made for me, along with a hand written letter. What a special way to start the day!

Now let’s talk about what I meant by practice, practice, practice being the motto of the day. For the past 2 weeks we have been working in pairs in classes of around 10, to produce a book that the students learn all about. Tamsin and I are exploring nature in the pond with our group. Tomorrow is the assembly where all the students come together to perform what they have learnt about within their topic. I came up with a really good idea to make a general picture of a pond on an A2 piece of paper, and then get all the kids to draw the animals to stick into the pond to use as a prop for the performance. They loved being creative and it was so beautiful to see how unique each child’s pictures were. We practiced over and over again, sentences and more sentences, actions and more actions.

“What is the action for lotus?”

“What do you say?”

“The frog jumps in the pond.”

In between all this practice we played games and got their little bodies moving getting the wriggles out, they love ‘Teacher Says’ and word bingo. As I am in charge of 2 books this whole process was repeated in my afternoon class with the topic of going to school. And ‘lucky for me’ at the same time Tom and I were meant to be teaching there was a teacher vs student soccer game organised so I was on my own. But they had a blast which was the main thing.

These last few weeks I have felt so much joy and happiness knowing my presence is making such a special impact in these kid’s lives. It’s remined me that a smile is all you need. I feel incredibly honoured to be part of Woodleigh School and this group of unique individually talented students.

Skye Ginsberg

December 11 Wednesday

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Today was our last day teaching at Chumkriel Language School, which was very upsetting for many of us. We started the day off with our daily breakfast at the Paris hotel, following the routine of getting on the bus to drive to CLS. We had the first lesson as per usual and ended the morning session with an assembly. At the assembly the ‘teachers’ were sitting at the back, whilst the kids sat on the ground. In the first assembly each class took turns presenting their bilingual book or a song to everyone, towards the end the students invited the teachers up to the front to take a photo and a fun dancing session. I really enjoyed the time that we got to dance with the children because they were so enthusiastic and wholeheartedly enjoyed themselves. They were so happy to dance with us.

For the second assembly it was very much the same and each group performed throughout the course of the assembly. Sarah and I had our shining moment with our class singing the classic ‘Jolly Phonics Song’ that has been stuck in my head for the past three days. At the end of the assembly Mr Thy invited the teachers up individually to present them with a certificate and a CLS T-shirt which was very heart-warming. The final assembly was with the night school at CLS which was very similar to the first two.

We ended a very eventful day at dinner with the staff from CLS, which was very fun and I got to sit next to my night school teacher Phoas who really enjoyed the game ‘cheers’. I had an insightful conversation with our cute lil’ bus driver - who spoke no English. I had to ask questions through an English and Khmer speaking teacher.

The kids really taught me a lot about myself throughout these two weeks, I have learnt to be incredibly grateful for my education at home and the little things in life that make me happy. I am definitely going to miss the kids greeting smiles and the many high-fives, fist pumps and joint love hearts I made with them. In my book class I made many close relationships with the kids and in the afternoon class I will miss my favourite little girl, Sok Stray Nier (I’m not sure how to spell it), she had little to no English and towards the end of my time their she started to hold my hand which made my heart melt. Along with many others in that class who were incredibly adorable, I will miss them. In the night school at Ang Prey I had my last class on Thursday and had to say goodbye to these beautiful children who gave me lots of love when I was saying goodbye.

I say a massive thanks to CLS for allowing us the opportunity to come back and thank you to the kids for teaching me lots about their life and more about myself.

We’re going to Phonm Penh today for our last two days. See you soon, love you mum, dad, Tess, Sam, Bear and Sim. Tillie J

December 12 Thursday

The day started off with everyone having a decent sleep in and a nice breakfast. It was finally the weekend and we just finished off our last day of teaching. It was very hard to say goodbye to all of the teachers and students of CLS. We left Paris Guesthouse and we were now on our way to Phnom Penh where we finally reached the Kabiki Resort. It has a nice pool and some very nice rooms but we didn’t have time to swim until later. We spent the afternoon at the Russian Market where we bought Kris Kringle gifts for the group and of course some general presents. It was really fun to barter with the shop owners and get stuff at a cheap price. After having a swim in the pool at Kabiki we had dinner in house and the food was very good. After playing cards for a bit at night, we came to the unfortunate realisation that the air con was broken, and when it's 28 degrees at midnight, it isn’t the best sleep, but we got through it and I had a double bed all to myself, which I was happy with.

Aaron

December 13 Friday

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Today was the last day in Cambodia. We visited Tuol Sleng, a moving way to end the trip. The museum itself reinforced the profound effect the Khmer Rouge had on its citizens, and continues to have on Cambodia to this day…..

Tuol Sleng is located in the Phnom Penh city, and was a previously a high school, before the Khmer Rouge determined it was going to be the centre piece of its 200 prisons/torture locations. The stories, images, and real-life relics were nothing less than moving, and it was a shame we didn’t have more than a day to explore the place.

I found it particularly moving to think of the school children, similar to those we have been with at CLS for the last two weeks, playing in their break time or learning something new, then being marched out of their school and city, not knowing what’s to come and the atrocities to follow in their place of learning.

Driving through Cambodia (particularly the non-Chinese dominated areas), it was clear that much of it has not seen development since April 17^th 1975. The buildings are snapshots of what used to be the “pearl of Asia”, re-enforcing the effect the Khmer Rouge has had on Cambodia.

I think it is fair to say, this lack of development, is present within the society itself. Hun Sen the (world’s longest serving) Pime Minister, has been in power since 1985, and those who oppose are often prosecuted for crimes against the country or even killed in order to keep Sen in power. The Khmer Rouge installed an ‘inability to resist’ within the Cambodia people, and they reap the consequences to this day.

The trip itself I believe could not be summarised as anything less than amazing.

Being immersed in one of the world’s poorest countries has given us the ability to put our materialistic goods into perspective. Additionally, not having our phones for the trip has helped emphasise this point. Subsequently, I would like to think everyone will come back a “changed person”, as cliché as that sounds, I think it is a reasonable assumption, given the impact of this trip on myself.

This should be a trip all Woodleigh students at least consider deeply. This trip is too valuable to go unnoticed.

Tom

December 14 Saturday

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Mum, Dad. Please bring money and vegemite

Also, today was a pretty good day. The weekend has finally arrived and we enjoyed a bit of a sleep in before heading off to the Kampot market. The market was a very unique experience. The smells of the seafood section were disgusting. I didn’t think there could be anything worse than the smell of the toilet after Aaron used it, but I was wrong. We navigated our way around the low roofs and uneven floors of the market and saw some interesting little shops selling a variety of trinkets, clothes and jewellery. Back at the guesthouse we chatted to Dara about all things football before heading down to our weekend getaway in Kep. We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the sea before walking through the much nicer smelling Kep market. Back at the resort we spent the afternoon playing games in the pool including “Mark Adams” (our take on Marco Polo) before getting stuck into our English books whilst watching the sun set over the water. It was well deserved rest after a full on first week of teaching.

Ben

December 6 Friday

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Today we spent the day relaxing at Kep. We had a relaxing morning playing cards and chatting around the pool, and headed down to Kep market by the beach. The fish section was quite smelly and Madams brought some rambutans and waffles that were yummy. After the market we came back to the resort and then took tuk tuks to the other side of Kep where we had lunch overlooking the water. After lunch some of the girls, Mrs Cian and I went up to the Led Zeplin café in the rainforest. The tuk tuk dropped us off a few hundred metres from the café and we walked into the national park and up to the café. The scenery was so peaceful with butterflies, huge jungle trees and a good view of the sea. We drank passionfruit and lime juice which was so good and walked back down to the tuk tuk. After the trip Sarah and I had a quick dip in the pool and then we took the bus back to Kampot. Tonight we swapped the rooms (20 steps less is a relief!) and we had dinner downstairs. I’m very much looking forward to seeing my classes tomorrow and getting back into the teaching routine!

Happy Birthday mum for tomorrow! Xx

Jazzy

December 7 Saturday

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Today, I started off the workday with a refreshing knock by Madams and the warmth of Aarons body next to mine. I was keen for breakfast, as hungry as a horse. Awaiting me was two baguettes with jam. After breakfast, we saw our cute tuk-tuk driver and was greeted with a friendly wave. The journey to CLS was quick, staring out the window, seeing tons of scooters go off for their daily commute. Being welcomed with lots of waves and high-fives (like every day) and seeing the kids so enthusiastic to see us in the morning made me excited to teach. Having 4 drawings left to do for our book on ‘Hygiene’, Sarah and I were eager to get those out of the way. Starting our first class as we do every morning, with a game to get the kids excited. Of course, we played ‘Open Close’ (teacher opens hands, if the students close their hands, they sit down. Aim of the game to get all students out). The drawings continued after ‘Open Close’, dividing the group into two groups of five to speed up the process. Our following classes continued with similar activities. After our first three classes, we were informed by father Madams there was no night school. This news to majority of the group was good, being able to spend more time to bond and relax with the group was appreciated. The long day continued with lunch at Epic arts (A social enterprise café who help out deaf people in the area, please check out https://epicarts.org.uk/) After lunch, we went back to CLS to continue teaching. After three hours of playing games and high-fives, our working day was finished and we could kick our feet up and relax. We then played cards for majority of the day, playing a wide variety of Blackjack, Jim Rummy, Presidents and Dunce. For dinner, we went to an elegant restaurant on the water front. Aaron and myself, ordered an inverse Parma, it was delicious and devoured in a short time.

Hope your doing well Mum, Dad and Morgan. Missing you all lots and love you so much! xoxo

Levon

December 8 Sunday

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So far, so great! Our first morning teaching at CLS only made everyone more excited for the second. Jazzy and Tom worked together in the garden harvesting and preparing the vegetable Morning Glory. While Ben, Tillie, Levon, Tamsin, Skye and Sarah were busy creating a story book with the students about the water cycle, pond life, hygiene and going to school.

Meanwhile, Aaron and I spent an hour on the multicourt, trying to balance an egg on a spoon or throw a ball under a tunnel of legs. We then moved into the library where we were thrown into the deep end with nothing but a short book and 25 kids for an hour. We then wrapped up our morning with an English lesson, practising the sounds of the alphabet and the shape on the letter ‘H h’. I was prepared for the kids to melt my heart, but in only one day, my heart has turned to liquid and my mind has been blown by the sheer happiness and purity of these kids. In only three hours, I gave about 60 high-fives or fist-bumps, got a couple “I love you teacher” and got an awesome handmade keychain in the shape of a love heart.

The group then went out for a quick lunch and then onto a tour of the salt field. At the salt fields we learnt about their process of harvesting salt and got the chance to either skip, play with lego or play soccer with the children who lived in the area. These children along with the community opened my eyes to the hardship of these families but also to the beauty of the Cambodian children and scenery.

To finish of our long day we went on a tour of Angprey and CLS to give us a better idea of what evening school will be like and the teachers we will be working with for the next week and a half.

Although many of us are nervous for our first evening class, today has given us the confidence we need to dive in to the three sessions tomorrow and give our all to not only help the kids with their English but also try to make them smile even more.

Alicia xx

December 2 Monday

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The long, tiring day began with a loud repeated knock from Rosemary Cian. After a cool shower I stumbled down the 8 flights of stairs. With my numb legs, I sat eagerly awaiting my healthy choice of a fruit salad and a hot tea for breakfast. As the crowd of “teachers” huddled into the bus I quietly thought to myself about how lucky I am. At school I sat with my five male students and for two hours we discussed the topic of nature in the pond. The following hour was spent with the rest of the Woodleigh students and the school’s English teacher, assisting with exercises and games, focused around the spelling of numbers. After a friendly goodbye the newly formed teachers huddled once more into the bus, while I opted for the tuk tuk. We soon found ourselves back at the hotel for a delicious Cambodian lunch. All ten of the Woodleigh students went to our favourite restaurant for some mouth-watering $3 (American) chicken amok. The coconut chicken with rice was quickly polished off, and our next stop was the local ice cream store to indulge in ice cream and donuts. At 1:30 the majority of the group headed back to the school to participate in afternoon classes with a new set of children. Ben, Jazzy and myself took a longer trip with Cathy Holt to the salt field school. This school is provided, free of charge to the children of the salt workers. I was based along with Cathy Holt in the class with four to seven-year old’s, they had very little English vocabulary. Ben and Jazzy were based in the other classroom, going over verbs and the water cycle. After two and a half hours of singing, learning and playing, we regrouped, and took a long, dusty tuk tuk ride back to the school. Our next adventure began in night school. From five to six I was based in a classroom with a difficult to understand teacher and high expectations. The students in this class were aged between seven and twelve who were all practising their numbers. After the hour was over, I felt like an old man, my back ached and my feet hurt, but the adventure was yet to be over. The following hour was spent with a teacher who wanted me to “have a conversation with the students” for the whole hour. The students in this class were aged between twelve and seventeen and all were shy. Although I had no idea what to do, the class was eventful. In the class people, including myself, sang songs, discussed the differences between America, Cambodia and Australia. The students also told me what occupation they were planning on going into, all required English. After eating a few snacks, I sat on the tuk tuk contemplating the day. This trip has helped me to gain a greater insight into the world of teaching. I have come to the realisation that everybody needs a strong role model, and teachers are one of the best. Teachers are required to be a person full of knowledge, a psychologist, a parent, a nurse, a builder and so much more.

Tamsin

December 3 Tuesday

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I spend my morning sessions with Levon working with ten kids making a book about hygiene. Our lessons consist of many games of hangman and bingo, colouring in pictures of brushing teeth and singing the ‘Hygiene song’. It’s a lovely group of kids and we look forward to working with them each day. In the afternoon we are with the youngest class, they have only been at school for about one month, it’s very cute to teach them the alphabet and run sports games.

It’s fair to say my second evening of night school was fairly unconventional and stressful. As I was told five minutes before my class started that my teacher was absent. I was handed a minimalistic lesson plan that quickly went out the window when the class began. During the first lesson I was told a substitute teacher was going to take over my class and I should help Aaron in the room with the younger children, I didn’t mind at all - they were all very cute and it was great fun to sing songs and teach the alphabet. After the first lesson I walked into the break room to find Ms. Holt and Ms. Cian very frantic and stressed. Apparently, no teacher ever showed up, so they took the class themselves! I heard it was a very poor effort of English teaching with a failed attempt of teaching the Nutbush. I decided I would join them for the second lesson, so we stepped into the room with no plan and a very vague idea of the student’s English level. It was a split-second decision to make the focus of the lesson fruit, after many games of bingo and some confused looking students, the lesson was over. We left the room laughing and praying Rithy, the teacher, shows up tomorrow.

At the end of the night we come home pretty exhausted after our eight-hour teaching day, but still looking forward to returning the next day to spend more time with the children.

Sarah

December 4 Wednesday