Finally arrived safely
Yes, at about 3.15 on Thursday afternoon our guests’ flight touched down at Edinburgh airport and by 5pm they were all safely with their host families.
Since then they have been very busy. They spent the day with us in FHS on Friday when they met various pupils and staff, took part in some lessons and talked to senior pupils studying COPE about life in Malawi.
At the weekend they played ten pin bowling, went to Edinburgh where they visited the Castle, St Giles Cathedral, the German Christmas Markets and had fun on a Helter Skelter. All new experiences for them.
On Sunday, they attended and sang at an Advent church service at Grahamston United Church where our String group was leading the hymns.
During this coming week they will be in school today, Tuesday and Friday when they will attend a variety of classes and visit many departments including Computing, Home Economics and P.E. whilst also finding time to go to the Library, Windsor Park school and Bantaskin Primary School.
Look out for photos of all of these activities and more. Coming soon - here on the blog and on the school web site.
Malawi 2008 | Comment (0)A site update
With the arrival of the group from Malawi, and the anticipation of lots of photos, I’ve taken the opportunity to do an update to the photo albums and how they work. It’s now much, much, much easier to upload and create a photo album (I’ll publish instructions when I get a moment). In the meantime, bear with me while I get all the links to the new albums sorted and do let me know if you spot any glitches.
The links down the right hand side should all work.
Webmaster | Comment (0)Still only almost here….
Unfortunately, you will have to wait until tomorrow (Friday) to welcome our visitors. Last night at just before 8pm when we were all about to leave for the airport, I received a phonecall from Mr Nyasulu.
They had missed their flight from London to Edinburgh!
Fortunately, they were able to book onto another flight, but not until 1.30pm on Thursday.
Thank goodness for mobile phones and the internet, as, despite being 400 miles away, Mrs Dallas and I between us were able to book and pay for all of the following: 2 rooms in a hotel, dinner and bed & breakfast, a return taxi journey from and to the airport whilst Mr Innes was able to arrange payment of the flight supplements. Phew!!!!
We are very grateful to an un-named BA employee who allowed Mr Nyasulu to use her phone. Steve, the operations manager at Travelodge Terminal 5 Heathrow and Station Cars cab services all of whom helped us enormously in our emergency arrangements. So to them we say a big
Ndawonga! (Chitonga for thank-you)
Malawi 2008 | Comment (0)Almost here…..
I received a phone call from Mr Nyasulu this morning at around 5.30 to tell me that the party was about to board their flight for London, and as I write this (at 3.15pm) they will probably making their descent into London Heathrow.
Many pupils, parents and teachers are planning to be at Edinburgh Airport this evening to give them a warm welcome.
Finally, they will be in school tomorrow, but may still be very tired after their long journey. Please give them a warm, smiley welcome but also give them space to find their way in what will be a daunting but I’m sure enjoyable and exciting first day in Scotland.
You may even wish to greet them in Tonga – their local language – by saying
Timonene!
and say goodbye to them by saying
Paweme!
Malawi 2008 | Comment (0)They’re really on their way now!
Mr Nyasulu sent a few texts this morning :
At 10.57 they were in the airport going through check in.
At 11.58 they had cleared check in and were in the departure lounge awaiting their flight.
At 12.58 they were aboard the aircraft about to take off for Addis Ababa!
Malawi 2008 | Comment (0)And their journey begins……
Later on tonight (or probably more accurately in the early hours of tomorrow) our Malawian visitors will be leaving the school to begin their long journey to Falkirk. They will travel by bus to Lilongwe where they will board their first flight which takes them to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
After an overnight stop in the airport they will embark on the longest leg of their journey from Addis Ababa to London Heathrow.
Finally, at approximately 9pm on Wednesday 25th they will touch down in Edinburgh International airport where their host families and school staff will be there to greet them.
Look out for them in school on Thursday when they will spend their first full day among us and give them a warm and friendly welcome.
Malawi 2008 | Comment (0)Our Malawian Visitors…..
The party due to arrive next week is made up of 2 teachers and 4 pupils:
Mr Nyasulu is the party leader and also the Depute headteacher at BAGSS,
Mrs Mchikoma is the other member of staff and she teaches English and Chichewa in Malawi.
The pupils are:
Glory Kumwenda, Chimwemwe Chilinda, Mayesero Maloya and Maria Longwe.
Please be ready to welcome them and show them how hospitable Scots people are.
Malawi 2008 | Comment (0)GET READY TO WELCOME OUR VISITORS FROM BAGSS
After over a year of planning and fund raising it’s finally about to happen. Falkirk High School is about to welcome a group of 4 pupils and 2 staff from our sister school in Malawi.
The party will begin their journey on Tuesday 24th November when they will leave the school early in the morning to travel to the capital Lilongwe where they will catch their first flight. Their journey will end on Wednesday evening when they arrive in Falkirk after having landed in Edinburgh at around 9pm.
Be prepared to welcome them to school on Thursday when they will begin their Scottish adventure.
Finally, a big thank you to everyone in the school community for helping with all the fund raising efforts. Without your contribution, big or small, this could not have happened. You have given 6 of our friends from Bandawe an amazing life changing opportunity and for that you should be proud.
Malawi 2008 | Comment (0)International Day Malawi Stall
Zoe and I, along with Ama Kafupi, are organising the Malawi and South Africa stalls for the International Day, to be held on the 12th of March in the Assembly Hall. We are trying to encourage more pen pals between FHS and BAGSS and so have drawn up a list of all the girls who gave us their names in June in the hope that they would be written to. To go along with this, we are also trying to make up a collection of very short articles from those of us who have written to or met personally some girls from BAGSS, about what having a friend in Malawi is like. This is really just to encourage more people to sign up for pen pals. If you’re not too busy, and I know most of you can’t be since the prelims (aargh!) are over now (yeah!), it would be really nice if you could email to me or write up and give to me at school either lists of names of girls at BAGSS, since we all got some, or short, positive paragraphs about what writing to a Malawian is like, or both. It would be very much appreciated. Thanks!
Kathers
P.S. If you spot any grammatical errors in this then please keep them to yourself since I might have to kill you if you tell me.
I am a Proud Scot
Follow the link to this page to see Mr Thomas MacDonald Kamanga’s poem about his time in Scotland.
Malawi 2008 | Comment (0)