2 more years in HK

    Well, much to my family's disappointment, I signed my new contract today.  In order to look for teachers for next year, the school requires us to decide by Dec. 15th if we are going to re-sign our contract.  I had the choice of signing for 1 or 2 years. I signed for 2 years, because of a very nice bonus.  Also, our school's pay scale will go up significantly starting in August.  It's not all about the money though, we love living in HK and we have so much left to see and do in Asia!  Blair and I have thought and prayed about this decision and we feel that this is the best choice for us.  We're excited to raise our baby here, but sad that our family and friends are so far away.  Hopefully we can start coming home twice a year, to make it easier being away.  This means the earliest we'll be moving to the states is June 2013.  So far from now!!

I love my students!

The other day I got this email from one of my 4th graders. I think it's sums up why I love these kids so much. Just for context, if kids don't have their homework, they have to move their clip on our behavior chart and if they don't move their clip they earn stamps.

"Dear Mrs Phillips

I forgot to bring my homework folder home, so can i do my math homework after the morning work and the language for homework for tomorrow. Can you please forgive me?

(PS. i don't mind to move my clip, if i can move my clip that is no problem because learning is better than stamps.

please Mrs Phillips

I am very very very very very very very very very very very very very sorry."

Science Fair

Samantha

Elise

King Yat

Ryan

Connie and Jo

Inez

Sarika and Asher

All the kids here have cell phones.

See below for another new post!

My Sweet 4th Grade Class

This was the first time my class got to swim in our school's swimming pool!

Playing kickball at the Back to School Bash

My class is so sweet. I have 26 students that are very smart and talented. They are bilingual and many of them trilingual. I am blown away by their work ethic and attention to details, at such a young age. That being said, they also love to be silly and cut up. I'm enjoying teaching interesting subject matter, like solar eclipses and polygons, etc. I'm so used to teaching the letter sounds and the numbers to my kindergartners. 4th Graders are independent and can work silently without needing me to help with every little detail. It's a nice change.