Endings and Beginnings

The first language at Reymontowka this year officially ended on Friday evening with a program. It was one of the best in which I've ever participated. The  parents arrive anywhere from 4:30 PM on and help their children pack and move suitcases to the car. We all eat some supper around 5 PM and then the program begins around 6:00.

I was seated waiting for the program when a former student walked up to me and said, "Why didn't you send me a Facebook message and tell me you were here?" I replied, "I though you would figure it out!" He had come with family members to see the final program because his cousin had attended the language camp. He asked me to visit his home yet while I'm here. That may be another story later.

The program always begins with an introduction of we Global Volunteers, and the Reymontowka director always graciously stresses that we are truly volunteers and that we pay all of our expenses to be here.  Next the students present us with a thank-you poster and we receive a Reymontowka T-shirt.

Then the fun begins with all the language classes doing an English presentation.

Here is one of my fellow volunteers coaching her students through the song, Don't Worry, Be Happy.

We had 8 language classes and so to keep the program interesting, student dance performances were placed after every three classes. The first dance routine was done to New York, New York. The second one was really cute, too -- Please Mom.

Then comes a theatre performance. This one was about children's dreams.

Here's a photo I took during the nightmare sequence.

 It shows siblings of the campers reacting to the nightmare scene.

Then we volunteers had a surprise. We sang the Linger Song. The first verse goes:

Hmmmm, I want to linger,
Hmmmm, a little longer,
Hmmmm, a little longer,
Here with you.

After we had sung the whole song in English, we did one Polish verse. We were surrounded by our students. It truly was a special moment.

I'm behind the girl in the blue dress on the right hand side of the photo. We are listening to one of the team members read a short thank-you speech.

Then it really was time for kielbasa and shirt-signing.

The next morning we were at breakfast at 7:30. After breakfast our team presented a thank you poster to the kitchen staff.

We were then off to the airport where we encountered a very long baggage drop-off line. While waiting, a man, another departing passenger, noticed a Global Volunteer shirt and said, "I'm one of those." He went on to say that he had done programs in Romania and Ecuador. Made waiting a bit easier. Once my fellow team mates were heading to airport security for their departure, I headed downstairs to start meeting the new people coming in. But that's a whole another story.