Afterschool activities

We were told 98% of the kids go to the afterschool program, which is held next to school in three separate locations.  Arlo's group uses the area shown in the 31 July post and today we learned what the fire pit was for - a fire!  Right there with the kids with no waiver form, no fence, no anything.  After the fire burned down a grill was placed over the coals in order to cook the hotdogs and buns for the afternoon snack. 

Another surprise was the activity to enjoy while sitting around the fire - whittling.  Arlo was happy to have a large knife in his hand and was proud to show me his sharpened stick.

The last surprise was a donation from a local resident - the skull, skin, and two legs from a small roe deer he had shot.  The kids were going to add something to skin to prevent it from rotting, once some of the afterschool people had removed the remaining fat and muscle.  I am not quite sure what lesson was being taught, but we are certainly having a chance to have different experiences than we would at home.

Another difference was Robin's school day.  When she arrived this morning there was only one other student because everyone else knew that the first class had been cancellled.  The teacher will be gone for a few weeks and apparently they don't hire substitute teachers.  When Robin arrived home ninety minutes early she said it was because another teacher had not shown up and her class was dimissed.  I wonder what Danes attending school in the US think of the concept of set school hours.