'Tis the Season: Giving, Cheer, and Busy as Bees

It's always gratifying to be able to link our students to the community

Play as Learning: This was a fun week, despite having to come in on a Saturday. Two of my 9th-grade classes (301 and 304 A) started to finish their review games on Mental Health and began playing them. They need the change of pace as they have critical tests this Friday and Saturday and literally have been staying up studying until 11 the past couple of weeks. Here are links to videos of their play: (304 Video 1, Video 2, 301 Video 1, Video 2.)

Here are some photos taken by my co-teacher Ali (videos and photos published with the kids' permission to post and share).

Winter Clothes Donation Drive: Also, I and my co-teacher Ali's classes brought in their old winter clothes to donate to the Yilan Fisherman's Union and the Hua Zhe mental health facility outside Loudong. We did it last year and Ali organized it again this year. She drove the clothes down to Su'ao and took these photos. It was nice to see students from my 8th grade ESL class helping out.

 

I feel fortunate to work with a wonderful co-teacher, and such bright, giving students.

Winter Clothes Drive for Yilan Migrant Fishermen

Last year's winter clothes drive was so successful, we are doing it again!  Many thanks to my coworker Alii who has to do all the paperwork for the school to get this activity into motion. Next week, December 17-21, my coworker and I will be collecting the coats and other winter clothes and on Friday another coworker will drive them to Su'ao.

The Yilan Migrant Fisherman's Union, located in Su'ao is composed mostly of Indonesian and other SE Asian fisherman who need winter coats on their long excursions at sea. They don't come to Taiwan with that kind of clothing.

The case of migrant fisherman and migrant workers in Taiwan is a stain on its human right's report every year. Inadequate pay, housing, lack of movement, even death has happened here in Yilan. The situation of the migrant workers being exploited by Taiwanese captains and boat owners isn't new news to my Social Studies classes, but they can always be reminded. I will also invite my ESL 8th graders to participate

Some resources to show the kids:

1. https://www.newsmarket.com.tw/blog/107446/
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvw--9fGIxk
3. https://www.facebook.com/485896125119980/videos/496417647401161/

What has been in the news lately, is how these boats were recently caught breaking laws against fishing dolphins to be used as bait for fishing sharks (both illegal), endangered turtles were also found. There is public outrage by the expat community against these [Indonesian] fishermen, but they are just pawns. The greater responsibility lies with the Taiwanese boat owners, captains and the consumers of shark fin soup.

My office will have a donation box next Monday the 17th, and we will store them next door in the back of the media room.