Wednesday 18 June 2014

Getting ready to go back

It is now less than 5 weeks until we return to Nepal. This week we’ve really started going through all our stuff and started the big sort for moving back, including weighing most of it to find out whether we are going to fit and what we need to get rid of.

The whole school
But our thoughts are predominately taken up with what we are going back to. As we’ve mentioned in our last two blogs, we are really looking forward to going back to a place that feels like home and somewhere we’ve missed this past 11 months.

We will be returning to a different situation to the one we left and a situation we weren’t expecting. As we mentioned previously, the CEO of KISC, who has been there 13 years is stepping down at the end of term (which is next week). Dan had been expecting to be working under her as the secondary principal next year. However, the board have asked Dan to fill the role of School Director in an interim capacity from when we go back.

The CEO role is being split into 3 roles, there will be a director of EQUIP (the teacher training branch), a Business Director (who will be responsible for all the non-academic side of things) and the School Director who will have overall responsibility for the Primary and Secondary schools – although there will be a separate Principal of both these.

Because this wasn’t expected, all 3 positions have been temporarily appointed with Interim Directors, with the hope to make permanent appointments in due course. This was to ensure there was a leadership structure in place immediately. Currently there is a Primary Principal for the start of term in August, but no Secondary Principal
.

This has been a difficult time for the school and the step up to Director is a big challenge for Dan. While he’s been on the leadership team for several years now, it’s a big change and a significant responsibility to be taking on. He has really valued the time on the course and is sure there will be plenty of opportunities to put into practice some of the ideas he has read and explored this year. And he’s looking forward to it.

Tuesday 3 June 2014

"Home"

As we mentioned in our last blog we have booked our tickets for returning to Nepal. We are looking forward to getting back and catching up with friends there and getting back to KISC. Sam will be going into year 1 at KISC and is super excited to be starting there.

We have had a great year here, we have enjoyed being in England with its yummy cheeses and green space. The children have loved getting to know their grandparents better and we have all had a great time being able to see friends and family over the year.

It has been great, but also a bit weird as we know this is temporary and that life continues in Nepal and that for now that is where our life is. So as we plan to return I find myself telling people we are going home, but then correcting myself. The truth is I am not really sure where home is anymore! I’m not sure I (Becky) ever have, having never lived anywhere longer than 4 years when growing up.


So the conclusion I have come up with is that the old saying “home is where the heart is” is probably true and to be honest I think I have left little bits of my heart all over the place. So for now we are going “home” to Nepal in July, but leaving our “home” here in the UK in order to go and continue our work out there.