Giselle, our latest graduate from secondary school, will start University of Tourism, Technology and Business in May. Congratulations, Giselle!
This will give us 13 attending university. I am so grateful to all sponsors and those who donate for higher education. Without you, this would not be possible.
First school term ends
The first term has ended. Exams are over. Children are waiting for their report cards.
It is an exciting time as a two-week holiday begins and secondary school brothers and sisters come home.
Please keep Urukundo and all our kids in prayer. We continue to pray for you.
Computer Training
New to the Urukundo sign is ICDL.
School, Dental, Foundation and now ICDL for computer training.
With ICDL, an advanced computer training class with qualified teachers is available to the community.
Police, bankers, businesspeople, district employees and any other interested groups or individuals are invited. Classes will begin in March 2018. They are in process as you read this sign.
To those readers in Rwanda: Delighted to have you join us. Call 0788919754 for information.
It might be a bit of a trip from outside the country, but you are also welcome.
Secondary School Plans
On our way. Our hope is in you.
Long way to go. Prayers, please.
Donations
L. Ladies $200
D. Jerro $100
B. Stapleton $500
Thank you. Help us reach the top.
Mama Arlene
Setting Goals for the New Year and Beyond
SETTING GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR AND BEYOND
Goals for 2018 started out with purchasing the second half of a bus. That already was accomplished in January. The bus is bigger and can bring more of our kids safely to school. It has been painted the school bus color, its title was changed and it was inspected for 2018. 
SECONDARY SCHOOL (HIGH SCHOOL) IN VISION The main and GREATEST goal may be a bit harder to achieve. (God in charge; all things are possible.) That goal is to fund and build a Secondary School (High School) to be added to our school system. WE NEED YOUR HELP.
The first Secondary School gifts to kick off the project are here. Add your name to the list. No gift is too small; no gift too large. Designate the gift: Secondary School.
Michael Jerro USA Amount $100
Lace Ladies UK Amount $200
Thank you, Michael and the Lace Ladies.
School Year 2018 Begins
Urukundo kids are ready, willing and able.
At a traffic check at the village gate, there are no vehicles in sight.
Then there's a traffic jam. New bus arrives with students on board.
Kids, kids, kids.
Opening ceremony was impressive.
Kids meet teachers. Preschool classrooms are in the background. We are so blessed. Thanks to you who make it possible. There are 722 children who are getting a good education and 32 qualified teachers who have jobs.
This young man is not sure he approves of the whole process. Attitude is everything. Home is better. Oh, yeah.
THANKS
In this first month of the 2018, we at Urukundo say:
THANK YOU ALL
&
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Mama, Staff, Teachers and Kids
Sister School Partnerships!
For the past three years, US schools have been partnering with the Urukundo School to provide teaching tools and resources. Classroom projects on a diversity of themes have been exchanged over the years. These have included creative writing, making books and researching many topics. This year after exchanging the projects, our head teacher Irene asked if the projects could originate from Urukundo. So for 2015/2016 the teachers and students will provide all the themes and topics for classroom partnerships.
Our Teachers
We are so fortunate to have such qualified and experienced teachers. Most have a teaching degree or are going to university to receive one. Irene, our head teacher, is continuing his education by returning to university on Saturdays for a certificate in school administration. We now have teachers inquiring when we will be hiring as our school has become a model in the district.
Preschool Skills
Children love butterflies so what better way to teach preschool skills….cutting, coloring, taping and tying. First our preschool teachers read books about them. Then they shared steps each child would do to make their butterflies. This project became more than the process of making them. They would also be used in the class when singing songs, to touch their butterfly on parts of the body, to do math and to simply have them flutter around during playtime.
Creative Writing
Some of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades classes took on writing projects. This year titles were, “How I go to School”, “How I Would Like to Go to School” and “Where I Like to Read”. What fun it was to compare what the Rwanda and US kids wrote. This was a great tool to learn about each other’s cultures.
Going to school…..In Rwanda the kids walk or their parents bring them on a bicycle or motorcycle. In the US they come mostly by bus or in their parent’s car. Fun ways the Rwandan kids would like to go to school are by helicopter, hopping on a frog, holding onto a butterfly or balloons or kite or on the back of a gecko or elephant. A dream for several would be to ride a bus like the kids in the US. Imagination was key for this project.
Social Studies
Together classes are working on a book about buildings in the US and Rwanda. What started as a list of 28 soon grew. In Rwanda, the first step was to go to the library or use their textbooks to research their building. Then they drew and wrote about them. This was a great opportunity to teach each other not only what the buildings look like but how the building is used, such as a courthouse, museum, cybercafé, hardware store.
Did you know there were no train stations in Rwanda? No fire stations in THEIR community? The kids know about trains and firetrucks which led to a great discussion. I just read that the first fire truck was given in 2000 and now there are 12 for the entire country.
Next year we hope the children can visit some of the buildings and we can take photos to make a book.
Math
Children love big sheets of paper and color. So 3 classrooms began projects making graphs. Two made a bar graph and one a line graph. The process of data gathering included making choices by voting on favorite animals and foods. Then they discussed how to use their data to make the bar graph. The line graph was on height. Students took turns measuring classmates then recorded their results. The graph from the US was in feet and inches. Urukundo students used centimeters but also noted feet and inches. Head teacher Irene was very involved and led a discussion about what each graph depicted and what they learned.
