St. George’s College (WEEK 17) – Day #73

Date for Entry: (Tuesday 31st January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Sunday 05th February 2023)

[T2, W:5 – D:20*].

Dear Diary,

    A really nice rainbow appeared in the sky this morning. It was only when we got to the front of DCFA on the road that saw it was part of a twin. Three Georgian ladies came down in the maxi today. I had 1L this morning and they got me too tired. It made me start to feel sick and I could anticipate the failure level in the classroom all ready for the test next class.

    When I got back to the office, I heard that Miss Roberts was absent gain. I did not want to go all the way up to 3M so I remained in the office and did the office work that I had to do and got my forms ready for submission this afternoon. More rejection was there today and behaviour from some persons. I had my class portfolios labelled and removed the paper I stuck on them last term. They were getting too old.

    As soon as it was the seventh period, I had my exam with 1F. They were so not ready. Many of them acted as if it was a new topic. There was a cheating group to watch. Their papers were dealt with soon afterwards when I got home.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:35 am – 3:37 pm)

St. George’s College (WEEK 17) – Day #72

Date for Entry: (Monday 30th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Sunday 05th February 2023)

[T2, W:5 – D:19*].

Dear Diary,

    I had a really nice maxi driver today and he had good music going down the road. I knew it was his personal selection because I saw the flashdrive plugged into the radio and blinking to the pulse of the music. As I got to the office, I remembered Kiel asked me to draw in the lines in the OJT Logbook. I got my yardstick from the art room and sat outside with Miss Gittens chatting about all kinds of things. The assembly went longer today.

    I had to go and prepare for my first two periods today. It was Day one today and since Miss Roberts was absent again, I had periods 3-4 with 2M and periods 5-6 with 3F. The form 2 class was supervision. No work was done with them.

    As soon as I got to 3F, I did not know what to teach them. I asked the student a question I know would have been very weird which was to go through their books and find a topic that was very was either troubling or confusing to them. After one long minute, a girl showed me melodic and harmonic intervals.

    Teaching this group was wonderful. I did make two big mistakes as I was teaching it from the top of my head. I guess that made the difference between Miss Roberts and myself. I preferred to have my lesson planned out and accompanied by in-class exercises to follow immediately. Most of the questions came from the red Eric Taylor (Grade 1) book that I carried with m just in case I might need it and the same handbook that I had made for the Form 1 student. The rest was left for homework.

    During lunchtime, I was met by two students to do the make-up test. Sadly, I found the girl cheating on her cell phone and that was something I had to deal with separately when I got to the office. The last of the three students came late and he had some trouble with pitches on the treble staff.

    As soon as I was finished, lunchtime was over. I went to the Block C staffroom t meet Miss St Louis. She had some music hymnals and score sheets to share with me. I was shown the lyrics to “As We Gather round the Altar” lyrics because she said that it was the same hymn melody, they took to sing the words of TTUTA’s anthem. Had a nice everything singing melodies with fixed Doh and Miss Patel and a good time listening.

Link(s):

• Image from 3F Intervals Lesson. ** (Images Lost)

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:40 am – 3:28 pm)

St. George’s College (WEEK 16) – Day #70

Date for Entry: (Thursday 26th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 04th February 2023)

[T2, W:4 – D:17*].

Dear Diary,

    This morning I came down in the maxi with one Georgian and had to run to the office. As I was walking to the gate, I heard music in my head that I had to write out on paper. I ended up talking with someone and parts of the ideas were gone. I wrote out the lyrics as soon as I was forced to sign the log book and tried to remember the pitches.

    As soon as the assembly was over, I got breakfast out of the way to transfer the last set of marks for 1L into my mark sheet. I also remembered to bring my pink highlighter to indicate exam days on the subject registers. I still have to find the green one for the performance days I will be doing with the three classes in the coming weeks.

    After helping with minutes letters, my bible reading time lunchtime was compromised and no other students came to do the make-up exam. I had a review of notes and values and stems with 1F in preparation for their exam in the next cycle. I ended up having to improvise in this lesson because I had a strong feeling the children would not being back their treble clef worksheets and it went exactly like that.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:41 am – 4:21 pm)

St. George’s College (WEEK 16) – Day #69

Date for Entry: (Wednesday 25th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 04th February 2023)

[T2, W:4 – D:16*].

Dear Diary,

    As soon as I walked into the office this morning, I saw a gift that Mr Baachu left me on my desk. It was a black handle bag with the UWI logo on it. Had a lovely chat with Miss Santana this morning. 

    I had another conversation with a student’s parent (Miss Ramkissoon). She is one of the religious leaders for the ISCF sessions. They had upper school sessions that morning. Friday would be the various sessions for the lower school and both sessions would run for the first period only.

    Some part of the morning I had to go supervise one of Miss Roberts’ classes again and Mr Baachu saw me with the bag going up to the class. I held onto the pencil case in my other hand going up the steps. The case to too big to fit in the bag.

    Later that evening, I had the first exam for the term with 1L. Miss Gittens stayed with us for the first portion of the first period and had to leave after. I ended up leaving them eight minutes before school to over. I went to begin grading the papers.

    There was a long wait for the shuttle so I sat with Miss Leiba and Mr Baachu and as soon as the last paper was graded and then the bus entered the yard. Did not have the time to turn and put the papers back on my desk so they went home with me for the ride until the next day.

    Daddy and I went to Isa and he did not print the scores for Hillview College Song that I sent him about two weeks ago. It was being printed there but I got the laid ivory board for covers. I decided to take the prints home and sort them out. The folders were sent for him to print the cover and staple everything together the next morning. The yard meeting was tonight but I decided to attend my online bible study instead.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:36 am – 3:25 pm)

St. George’s College (WEEK 16) – Day #68

Date for Entry: (Tuesday 24th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 04th February 2023)

[T2, W:4 – D:15*].

Dear Diary,

    Going down the road in the maxi, as soon as we were about to go around the roundabout, a lot of traffic bugged the road from all directions. Everyone was looking out the windows to see what was going on. Then ambulance sirens and a police car went driving into the middle of everything. Someone was unconscious on the road and after passing the paramedics taking the injured person on a stretcher, the rest of the road was empty. Crossing the road on my own was not so scary today.

    Assembly was not long again, thank God. I came into the office to see my pink folder for 1F with the exam papers on my desk and the invigilator’s letter inside and the class attendance receipt signed. It was good to see that not many were absent from class. I had 1M this forming for the first two periods and they were the second class to get the first exam (Day 3).

    Five students’ exams were graded together as soon as I got into the office. I spent the rest of the morning I Block C grading these papers until students to do the make-up found me. We did this in the classroom between the admin and kitchen. Later that evening Miss Roberts had 2L. When the students mentioned most of the things that they would have done, I decided to review beaming with them. I took all the 1M papers and corrected them out at home after five.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:49 am – 3:05 pm)

St. George’s College (WEEK 16) – Day #67

Date for Entry: (Monday 23rd January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 04th February 2023)

[T2, W:4 – D:14*].

Dear Diary,

    Today’s assembly was on time and finished early. I had a long time with 1L and it felt forever to finish. I may have gone through a part of period three because their teacher for that time was absent. I used the treble clef worksheet with the students as a review for their exam. Three incidents occurred during my teaching time and I met with Miss Gittens immediately after. She was with Miss Mary outside and we spoke until the end of recess time.

    Later that evening I had gotten permission from Miss Chote to leave early. The Certificate matter was scheduled for that evening. Daddy and I parked outside of the church’s wall and walked down to the Police Station. We had a short wait, but it was just like in the movies where the police officer would put ink on a person’s hands and take their prints.

    I was grateful that Miss was able to do the exam for me with the students. I had a letter prepared for her and gave her everything for the examination in the pink 1F folder.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:47 am – 3:10 pm)

St. George’s College (WEEK 15) – Day #66

Date for Entry: (Friday 20th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Sunday 22nd January 2023)

[T2, W:3 – D:13*].

Dear Diary,

    Today was another late day. I had missed getting to see 1L use the posters for their morning assembly in front of the school in the hall. I sat in the office and had a very nice chat with Mrs Santana about some of the charts and textbooks I made for the Form 1s.

    This morning I had 1M after the religious sessions took away my first period. I had to rush down the review of pages eight and nine in the textbook that I made for the students. It would be their required studies for the exam coming next week.

    I handed out the treble clef worksheets that the other class did but our time was not enough. I did not correct them after collecting them. I think I would give the students the chance to complete it in class and then we will correct them together. It seems like a nice exercise to give the students to convert the semibreves into different notes and has them practice stem direction in those note creation.

    Miss Roberts was not here again as Miss Chote told me so I had to run off to Form 2L as soon as I got back from the office. I did not teach this class before so I had to ask about the topics that they did with Miss Roberts. I realised that this was a class that missed out on their full Form 1 training in music theory. I reviewed the music alphabet, the staff, and the pitches on the treble staff. I gave them copies of the same treble clef worksheet. Note values were reviewed after and I gave them a few equations to complete that the Form ones had to do.

    Right after recess, I had Form 3M. This was a class I had already taught before. I decided to correct the homework I gave them the last time and went right into the dots lesson. I did not use the form one teaching notes I had but reviewed them from the top of my head in a similar fashion.

    However, after the review of regular notes and then the notes with dots, I gave them the full exercise from my compilation textbook. They had some fun writing out the answer on the board but by the time lunch went, we had to run out of the class because the air conditioning was not working there.

    I took my bible up from my bag during lunchtime and went to Block C’s staffroom. I did some reading and liming with a group of teachers. I had some queries to answer for grades from the last term. I had to get my mark sheet and submit them. I remained there until the end of lunch and waited for school to be over back at my desk. I took a ride with Miss Gittens on the bus shuttle to go to prayer and worship. A false group demonstrated something to us earlier before our group reached.

Link(s):

• Pictures from Supervision Classes. **
• Prayer & Worship. **

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(8:11 am – 3:25 pm)

St. George’s College (WEEK 15) – Day #65

Date for Entry: (Thursday 19th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Sunday 22nd January 2023)

[T2, W:3 – D:12*].

Dear Diary,

    Today was Day 6 and I did not have any classes. Miss Chote called me to her office and said that Miss Roberts was not there today and I knew I had to supervise a class. Miss Roberts called me and asked me to copy the same worksheet I made and give it to the class as an exam. I had to grab my stuff and run up some stairs and find the class.

    At the end of the fourth period, I had the students mix the papers all over the classroom. Many of them were not prepared for this exam and did not know what to do. In my meeting with Miss Roberts at recess I told her that they would need a new exam. She had her form five class right after recess so I stayed and helped one of them with the pan instruments. They had to use my keyboard because the school one was busted and it did not have another working one.

    At the end of class, I took my tray with books and the keyboard back to the office. I had no class for the last two periods and remained reading with Miss and then we went to the E-sports conference in the hall for Form 1s and 2s. The buses drove faster today. Miss Lieba called for the last trip to go down to George’s.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(8:16 am – 3:06 pm)

St. George’s College (WEEK 15) – Day #64

Date for Entry: (Wednesday 18th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 21st January 2023)

[T2, W:3 – D:11*].

Dear Diary,

    Today was like a rest day except that I had to go to work. They were having Parents Day for Forms 3s, 5s, and 6s. I could not find a quiet place except for the library to sit down and compose a note values exam. It took about fifteen minutes in the process to write in scrap and four hours to type out.

    I had about twenty minutes before school to finish. There were no buses today because the school was ‘closed’ for Parents’ Day. I went home and worked on the project that Miss Chote asked me to work on a form that teachers could use for teachers to give students permission to leave the classroom. There was a particular slip that she got from another school. I did that within ten minutes or less and communicated with her over the night. It was sent to Dr. Sookdeo for feedback.  

 

Link(s):

• Permission to Leave Class Form.
• Notes & Time Values Exam. ** (Request by Email)

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:58 am – 3:06 pm)

St. George’s College (WEEK 15) – Day #63

Date for Entry: (Tuesday 17th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 21st January 2023)

[T2, W:3 – D:10*].

Dear Diary,

    This morning my ride in the maxi was with Ms Harris and another Georgian student. We crossed the road and walked into the UTT campus together. I had a short boof from someone in the morning after the artwork was done in the office yesterday. Yesterday too was not easy with that upset feeling pestering me in the afternoon. Miss Gittens and I had put together letters stuck on the Bristol board that spelt the word ‘honesty’ as an acronym. Her form class would use this for their morning assembly sometime during the week.

    During the third and fourth periods, I had papered the teachers’ attendance book in the last of my brown paper. I had taken care of the tearing with masking tape from home and then smaller scotch tape for the inner sides of the covering before papering it. I did not do any drawings on the cover this time. Miss Roberts did not come again so I had to take care of her classes. More rejection occurred the in the office today.

    I had 1F for the last two periods. I had the students share their copies of the textbook that I made for them. ‘Mr. Perry’ did the reading and everyone else followed along. I had some drawings on the board since I left my Bristol board piano back in the office. Everyone was allowed to take pictures of the notes from the whiteboard.

    I had the students try some pitch labelling from a worksheet I edited from Claire’s workbook. Seemed as if they were all right but you can never tell who cheated. Maybe the secret exam next class will? I had a nice ride going out for lunch with some others today after the staff meeting during period six.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:56 am – 3:15 pm)

Funeral Service for Rev. Anthony Rampersad

Date for Entry: (Friday 13th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 14th January 2023)

Dear Diary,

    Today was the service for Reverend Anthony Rampersad who past away on Tuesday evening. I was ready by eight and as soon as I was about to put on my shoes Mr. Sharma called me and said he was heading up my road to get me. Everyone playing in the band had assembled in our church compound at Aramalaya to go down.

    It seemed as if many of us including myself were going down to Susamachar Presbyterian Church for the first time. I sat in the front seat with sir and everyone else drove in the back through the back road from Pasea to the highway and down into San Fernando. The ride was a long one but it was nice to see San Fernando. It was a long while since I went there for the South Family Boxing Day lime. Many things I learned on that trip.

    Pulling up into the yard, I was glad that nervous and did not pull in me so much. I knew it was a different church we were going to. As we walked into the sanctuary, I was amazed at the architecture and craftwork. Throughout the service, the environment felt very special. I knew I was finally in a church for once. I had a lot of difficulties trying to stay awake. Even on the ride coming down, I had more fighting to do.

    The band was gathered to have a short practice of the two pieces on the Susamachar steelpan instruments before the practice. It was only our band from Aramalaya playing for the service. I learned that the instruments have been there since 1994 in the church and were crafted by Mr. Bertrand Kellman. I took a look to see what the seven bass pan looked like but only by glance because we had to leave quickly.

    We were told that some of them were slightly different and that we would need time to adjust. I had to switch the bore tenor pan on the end with a regular one but the sound was better, although the strings for the stand caused the barrel to be twisted to the left too much.

    The two songs played for the service were “The Prayer” arranged by Zara and “Oceans” that I had arranged. A second run of both songs was done when a Mr. Bally came. The ending was nailed well in the practice for “Oceans”. Sadly, “The Prayer” was not recorded in the YouTube video at the start and there was an interruption in the “Oceans” causing the complex ending to collapse on itself.

    Form 6 students from Hillview in their formal wear led the processional with Hillview’s flag, while the National Presbyterian Choir sang “Be Still My Soul” from a highly inclined seating arrangement. The choice of tempo was very nice and the execution by the vocalists. I loved the echo in the church.

    At the end of the service, I had covered back the tenor pans. It reminded me of my Form 5 days in Hillview when the school found the coverings they had for their steelpans. I took some time looking at the manuscript paper with music on it and sang solfege in fixed doh (in F major). I left my phone in the car and could not take a picture of it.

    Just before leaving San Fernando (at 3:02 pm), we stopped by a barbeque place and the sun was barbequing us too. I got home and finally sat on the couch some minutes after four. The phone was buzzing with some of the events for the day. I took the recordings made by parents and others to make a separate video.

Link(s):

• Images from the Day.
• Service Programme.
• Funeral Service.

• Cremation Ceremony.

• Private Performance Recording. **

Daryl Zion M. Ali

St. George’s College (WEEK 14) – Day #61

Date for Entry: (Thursday 12th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Friday 13th January 2023)

[T2, W:2 – D:8*].

Dear Diary,

    I had 1L this morning for the first two periods. Too many disappointments from the students came. I await to see the negative side I would not imagine until the next few weeks to come.

    I was told that Miss Roberts was absent and I had to call her to find out what she would have liked me to do. I had already missed the Form 2 class during the third and fourth periods. I took the next two periods after recess to review the scales with the same 3F class I had last week before getting into the rhythmic notation that they were supposed to learn.

    I had to return to the office to collect the piano chart I had made in the art room last term and the Grand staff chart. I started the new topic in the second period. We reviewed note symbols and time values and singing the C major scale using solfege for each of those different note symbols. The students tapped the pulse on their desks and I had to count them in.

    We did the same scale for semibreves, minims, crotchets, quavered triplets, and semiquavers. Once they had an idea of the patterns, I gave them the sentence fragment that Miss Roberts used yesterday “The absence of education” and asked the class to make it a complete sentence. The bell was heard and figuring out the rhythmic pattern for the syllables of the words became their homework.

    The evening session for me came faster than expected. The same thing occurred this morning but I worked with more students willing to work with me. We only reviewed the homework which was two short exercises. My time ended shortly after to rush up to Tunapuna to go to practice in the church. We have to perform at Reverend Anthony Rampersad’s funeral service.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:53 am – 2:30 pm)

St. George’s College (WEEK 14) – Day #60

Date for Entry: (Wednesday 11th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Friday 13th January 2023)

[T2, W:2 – D:7*].

**Recorder Chart

Dear Diary,

    Today I had a ride in the maxi to school and was accompanied by one Georgian. Surprisingly, before we made the final turn on the road to get to the yellow stop lights, one car just crashed into a lady’s car. The maxi remained there on the road for about fifteen seconds to understand what we saw before moving onward.

    Today was also the first day of the ISCF program at St. George’s. The only thing I did not like about it was that it usually steals teaching time (for period one and some of the second one) like many other ‘special events’. I had 1M this morning for the second period alone. I was glad the class took the lesson and was able complete it in a short space of time, unlike the other two classes. I took the red books from the students to correct their questions and did so with the remaining two periods before recess.

    I was asked to supervise Miss Roberts’ Form 3 class. It was interesting that the music room was open too. They never open it for me and Miss Roberts was not in school. Instead, I decided to do a review with the students. Just by asking them to list out some of the topics I realised, it was a class that missed out on a lot of teaching. I decided to do grade one time signatures from scratch. I tried to keep the literature short and simple. The exercises that they were given were from the grade one book.

    Miss Roberts returned during the fifth period and I had her take over to do the topic that she wanted the class to learn. I saw what she meant by rhythmic notation. I knew that I had never been through that topic before in Hillview. She did C major singing the scale up and down using Western solfege and then incorporating note symbols and having the student sing the pitches by time values.

    I did not have any classes in the evening. Miss Gittens and my Bible reading were interrupted by a surprise situation that occurred until the end of school. I went back to the office and waited while working on my recorder chart some more. I knew it would not be ready for tomorrow as I wanted.

    I wanted with Miss Lieba and Miss Gittens in the hall. We had some time before the last trip was gone. I had my clothes changed to go walking and they made up their mind to start too. We had a little more than two hours of walking. Two other teachers joined us. At the end were the exercise machines. Those were fun to do. On our walk back to the compound, I wished that working clothing could have been that breezy and comfortable.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:47 am – 5:12 pm)

St. George’s College (WEEK 14) – Day #58

Date for Entry: (Monday 9th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Friday 13th January 2023)

[T2, W:02 – D:05*].

**Recorder Chart

Dear Diary,

    This morning I met Miss Burnette in the maxi to go down to the UTT site along with ‘Mr. Smiles’. After hurrying to get to school I left the laptop at home and another bag. The commotion in the office continued with the short paper finishing.

    Since I did not have the computer to continue working, I made a chart for the form ones to learn about the recorder by posture and some short tips they would need to know. I only met Miss Gittens in the art room at lunchtime. She helped me fix my pencil drawing on the recorder.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:34:am – 3:39 pm)

Presbyterian Church of Trinidad & Tobago – 155th Anniversary

 Date for Entry: (Sunday 8th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Sunday 15th January 2023)

Dear Diary,

    This morning the senior band in the church had rehearsal for the 155^th anniversary of the Trinidad and Tobago Presbyterian Church. The front of the church’s building was lightly crowded for persons to arrive and enter the sanctuary. I got a program, bookmark and a lovely calendar they had made for 2023.

    The service had a large choir, and it was a national one, maybe with choir members from different regions I suppose. They sang several wonderful pieces throughout the service I might never find the notation for.

    The steelband had to play first but sadly, the guys doing the recording did not get the “Away in A Manger” before the processional (5:37 in recording). Only the last verse was produced. The second piece was “The Prayer” and it was good (1:57:00 in recording). We were given a screen labelling to the bottom left of the visual.

    The remainder of the service took some more time to complete. I remembered how much I used to like night services a long time when mommy used to take me in my days of TML.

Link(s):

• Service Programme.
• Image of Calendar & Programme.
• Service Recording.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

St. George’s College (WEEK 13) – Day #56

 Date for Entry: (Thursday 5th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Friday 13th January 2023)

[T2, W:01 – D:03*].

Dear Diary,

    Today I got to school late. As soon as I was in the office time ran away and the bell for the assembly was heard. I waited for Miss Chote and we walked down to the hall. She had invited me to play the national anthem again.

    Today was the first music all for 1M for the second term. We all went through the ‘avenues exercise’ and I spent more time with them because they had a wide variety of miscellaneous answers. I did not have my phone to take a picture of that particular one.

    I hope that this class would be able to heed some of the other advice and strategies I shared with them from my days at Hillview. The office ran out of short paper. I used the remainder of my secret stash of short paper for the students to use next week.

Link(s):

• 'Avenues' Exercise. **

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:46 am – 3:30 pm)

St. George’s College (WEEK 13) – Day #55

Date for Entry: (Wednesday 4th January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 5th January 2023)

[T2, W:01 – D:02*].

Dear Diary,

    Today I did not wake up on time. I got to read in fifteen minutes and got down to Curepe. Getting into the maxi I lashed my head real hard on the top of the doorway. It did not ease up until I got outside of the road to wait at the UTT site.

    I had my first class for the term with 1L and they answered the short questions that I had for them based on their experience of St. George’s. Then we moved on to the ‘subject studying avenues’ exercise. I tested the students to see if they knew what avenues they could have used to help them understand the course content.

    At first, it was a game for them (called ‘What would you do if’) but once the table was complete and row nine was left unanswered, I had to quiet them and then allow them to push the game out of their minds and replace it with the thought of a student in their class reaching number nine.

    Before the answer for number nine could have been given, we sorted out the miscellaneous answers students gave. I wrote those out to the side exactly when they gave me them. These drastic responses were discussed in random order. I picked on the most negative ones first and cancelled them off with my personal comments. Only when all of those extras were completed, I gave the answer to number nine. This exercise was done with 1L in the afternoon ad some of their negative miscellaneous were different from the morning class.

    The evening time went by shorter than expected. Aunty Vangy came to pick me up and we had a little surprise outing that evening. We met Uncle and he drove me home. The four hours I had before Bible study that night went by like forty minutes.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:46 am – 4:28 pm)

St. George’s College (WEEK 13) – Day #54

 Date for Entry: (Tuesday 3rd January 2023)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 5th January 2023)

[T2, W:1 – D:1*].

Dear Diary,

    Today was the start of the new school term. There were four Georgian students with me in the maxi this morning. I will admit it was too difficult to wake up. ‘Mr. Nick’ and Mr. Eric’ was there by the guard booth and they logged me into their book. I attended the assembly as usual and at the end, it was a surprise to hear Dr. Sookdeo ask for the students to sing the college song. I was waiting excitedly to hear how the students would have done it.

    I wished that the steelband would have been able to play it for a better experience. She was right when she said that the students did not know the song so I hope that next term I would be able to teach them the song properly.

    I headed back to my desk and remained there for the entire day except for the fourth and fifth periods where we had a staff meeting before lunchtime. I did not teach that day because the first period was stolen from me with everyone’s home period. I could not do what I had planned to go through with the students. Instead, I went through my to-do list book and plan out things that I had to get done.

    The staff meeting was eventful and very troublesome with so many problems and issues arising. We were also told that two of the bus shuttle drivers had quit the job because of no payment and the last rip left at 4:28 that evening.

    When I got back to the office, I saw that my Subject Register was going to be printed by a teacher to use for the term. Seventeen copies were made and sent off to the class. I was very happy to see that.

    As soon as I got home, I went right ahead and uploaded the St. George’s College song video. Before I could even do that, I had to do over a recording of the Musescore file playing out the song. The experimental version had difficulty. Thankfully, this did not take me more than ten minutes to do and the uploading.

    Looking back at the video, I felt satisfied that the song came out well but I did not like having to wait and be stalled for a week. I still hope that this recording would be useful to teach the students the song.

Link(s):

• Image of Printed Subject Register & Teacher's Attendance.
• St. George’s College Song – Full Journal Entry.
• St. George’s College Song – YouTube Video.

Daryl Zion M. Ali

(7:46 am – 4:28 pm)