Buin Zoo

My Kindergarten class along with the Pre-K, 1st, and 2nd graders made a trip to a local zoo this past Tuesday.  It was a blast overall, and we have MUCH to be thankful for!  I wanted to capture a closer up pic of my class, so I decided to take pics of the students and their bus buddies.  Unlike in the States, there are not traditional school buses here in Santiago, so we rented a coach bus for transportation.  I'll let you enjoy the pics below at your leisure, but I want to make some special notes first. 

THANK YOU to Jenn Rubin for organizing our field trip in her final months of pregnancy!!!!  She has been a blessing in SO many ways to me personally and to my class!  I have benefited greatly from her wealth of knowledge and her willingness to help.  Secondly, I wanted to give a HUGE shout out to my parent chaperones and my classroom aide!!!!  I won't mention them by name, but you can catch a glimpse of their great attitudes and helpful spirits by seeing their bright faces below.  I couldn't have made the journey without you all, and I am SO grateful!  Lastly, but MOST importantly, I give God the glory for a great day physically health-wise.  I was able to care for my group of kids because my God was taking care of me......and my baby too!  SO grateful for that!

We got to see a dinosaur exhibit (they were mechanical with noises AND movements!), we spent some time with the mini-hippos, there were monkeys to be seen (even a baby!), and one of the highlights was the water show--complete with a penguin, a seal, and TWO sea lions!!!!  They were VERY entertaining, and they were thoroughly enjoyable for children and adults alike! 

I told the class when we got back to draw a picture of their time at the zoo.  One of the kiddos in my group drew me a picture of our group.  It was truly precious.  As the children were excitedly sharing about their high points of the day, one of them asked me, "Mrs. Hovey, what did you like best?"  "Aw....that's easy," I replied, "........the company!"  The compliment went WAY over their heads, but I took the time to explain that I enjoyed THEM!!!  I still am not sure they understood completely but that seemed to not really matter.  I am blessed to work with a great helper, Joy Smith, and God has given me the strength to meet the new challenges this year's class has brought.  I consider myself blessed! 

Here's a pic of me and my munchkins below (Joy is on the right):