Response to Mr. Kishore's Students' Questions

Xinran, Saqib, Jacob, Nathan, Ryan, Tairon, David, Alec, Sam, Tillar, Tannya, Tammy, Tyler, Diana, Mr. Kishore, and other students,

Great Questions!  I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond; I have been busy learning so much here!   First I want to let you know that I have shared the things you want them to know.  Xinran and Saqib--they were very interested to hear that so many people move to the U.S. from countries around the world.  Students and teachers I talked to were surprised by how many different countries are represented in Jack Jouett school itself.  Mike and Akmal did a wonderful interview in Russian which talked about Jack Jouett, and the students were so pleased to hear Russian-speaking students at our school. Mike and Akmal--they loved this video! 

Also, Jacob--I shared what you said about Americans eating a lot of processed foods (and that fast food is very popular too).  They had thought that was the case based on what they have read and heard about the U.S.  Everything I have eaten here is very fresh and natural/home-cooked.  I also told them that there are many Americans (like my family) who eat mostly fresh foods and not much processed food. 

Here are the answers to your questions:

1. When does school start and end? How many days a week do you go to school? – Nathan, Ryan, and Tairon, 8th grade; David, 6th grade

• School starts at 8:30 and goes until about 2:30.  There are more students than classroom space at Gymnasium #10 (and the other schools I have visited here), so some students come later and stay later.  On Monday students come in earlier (8:00) for an assembly in which students are recognized for special achievements--academic, sport, and other types.

2. What do kids do in their free time? – Alec, 6th grade and Sam, 8th grade

• I have asked many students this questions.  Here are some of the things they have told me:
• go to a friend's house to play
• ride bikes
• play sports, like soccer, tennis, hockey, volleyball, or basketball
• go swimming at a recreation center
• play on the computer (online multiplayer games are popular here like they are at home)
• hang out with friends
• take a class like karate, music, foreign language class, computer class, dance, or something else
• read, draw, write, or do some other things on their own
• play outside
• help their parents around the house
• Do these sound like similar things that you do?

3. Do people have a lot of portable electronic devices? – Tillar, Tannya and Tammy, 6th grade

•  I have seen a lot of students with cell phones, and a few with tablet-type devices. They are not allowed to use the cell phones in class, but they use them in the hallways during breaks sometimes.

4. What holidays do you celebrate? – Tyler, 8th grade

• Nauryz is a big holiday here.  It takes place on the Spring Equinox, and it celebrates the end of winter and coming of spring (kind of like a new year beginning).
• New Year's Day is also celebrated very widely.
• Independence Day is celebrated in October.  It celebrates Kazakhstan's independence in 1991, and it also commemorates a famous student protest against the Soviet Union in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 1986.  Many students participated in this protest and some were killed by Soviet soldiers.
• Some people have told me that they celebrate International Women's Day on March 8th here.
• May 9th is an important holiday.  It is the date of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, which is known as The Great Patriotic War here.  The Soviet Union, including Kazakhstan, suffered tremendously during this war.
• July 6th is Astana Day.  This is a celebration of the birthday of Kazakhstan's new capital city, Astana.  It is also President Nursultan Nazarbeyev's birthday.
• Some people here celebrate Christmas, which they celebrate in January according to the Russian Orthodox calendar.

5. Do they study the Quran in school? – Saqib, 8th grade

• No, as far as I know they do not study the Quran. Public schools are secular (non-religious), like they are in the U.S. They do learn about religions in school though--this is a survey of various faiths in the nation and around the world.

6. What sort of patriotic stuff do you have to do in school? – Diana, 8th grade

• What I have seen in Gymnaisum #10 is that they sing the national anthem during their Monday assembly.  They do not have a daily pledge like we do in the U.S.  They have a school anthem written by a former administrator which is sung at celebrations and events.