The day started with a prayer meeting at 8am. We prayed for the teachers from both Derbyshire and in Kolkata. 
Breakfast today was curry, banana and a deep fried ball that looks similar to a Yorkshire pudding. It was then time to collect all our teaching resources and walk to CRS where we met staff and travelled to Scott Lane school.

The roads were really busy this morning, lots of horns sounding, people walking into the roads and motorbikes zigzagging here and there. 
Our driver braved the narrow streets near the school where the wholesale market was. You can buy fresh vegetables, flowers, fish, meat and chicken as well as sweet treats. The fish is prepared at the side of the road and shiny scales can be seen on the ground.

I jumped out the car and the driver carried on to another school with two other teachers who were being taken to a different school.

It was wonderful to see the teachers and children again. I shared the messages that Mrs Hodgson had recorded and also the Kolkata companions. We talked about the difference in weather and temperature.

As a class research and compare the temperature here in Kolkata and in Belper also look at the air quality in both places. What do you notice and what are the causes do you think?

The children welcomed me by singing 10 green bottles and head, shoulders, knees and toes. These were two songs that we taught them last year. The teachers wanted me to start teaching straight away today which was exciting and also scary, as the children speak very little English. 
 

I showed the children on my globe where I had travelled from and where Kolkata was. We practised saying England and Kolkata and introducing ourselves saying where we lived. 
 

The children loved receiving the postcards that you made and each child chose 4 to take home. The others will be kept in their school. I then gave each child a blank postcard and we spent time writing a message and drawing a picture for you all back at St John’s. 
 

Music is a big focus this year in our teaching and I have bought some egg shakers and claves. We started with the egg shaker today and I taught the children simple instructions of shake and stop. When I say stop they put them down on their desks. 
We sang a couple of songs using the shakers, tomorrow we will introduce the claves.

It was then time to wash hands as it was time for tiffin. The older children who are 7,8 and 9 years old supervise the younger ones. Making sure they line up straight and take turns to use the sink to wash their hands.  Tiffin today was a jam sandwich. Listen carefully to the prayer they say before they eat their tiffin. 

After tiffin an ex-pupil from Scott Lane School arrived to celebrate her birthday with us. She was 31 years old and was one of the first children to start at the school when it opened. She now has a masters in English Literature and is wanting to study to become a teacher now. Scott Lane School has given here all these opportunities which is amazing! She brought all the children two sweets to celebrate her birthday and has recorded a special message for you which you can hear in the video.

Before the children went home there was just enough time for me to read ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’. I have brought a dual language copy for the teachers to keep and we will be doing lots of learning activities using the story over the next day or so.
 

At 12.30pm the children were collected by their parents. Myself and the three teachers from Scott Lane School then walked back through the busy streets. I was really brave as it was loud, busy and I didn’t know where I was going and I can’t speak the language to ask for help if I got lost.
How would this make you feel?
 

Eventually we found the CRS car after crossing lots of busy roads and waiting near the bus station. We drove back to CRS where we ate our snacks for lunch and the worked with the teachers from Scott Lane to plan lessons and share ideas. As I have been asked to head up the sports day this year I spoke to all of the teachers regarding how this is going to work and that all teachers will need to help and join in with their school.

A busy day but wonderful to see the teachers and children again.

On the way home we stopped at Spencers a large store where I could buy some resources for my lessons tomorrow and some sweet treats for me.