Race day and more exams

This morning was what I will call the regional track meet.  There was probably another name for it, but we are somewhat out of the loop, thus don't have the official name.  If it had not been for the Kindergarten committee meeting that Nik attended on Monday, at which the committee planned to sell food at the race, we would not have known about it.  Madeleine qualified for this race by coming in second at the local race a few weeks ago.   Runners from other schools in the area came to Nuevo Arenal to compete today.  We were told that the event would start at 8am, so we arrived on time, only to wait for an hour and a half while they marked the race course with tape around the soccer field.

Waiting for the race at la plaza

Inside Escuela Arenal; the director addresses his students and all of the visiting runners.

 The visiting teachers were apparently having meetings with the Arenal teachers while the race course was being set up.  At last things got moving, around 9:30.   Madeleine was not thrilled with the idea of a long hot run this morning, but she rose to the challenge and did very well against the two competitors in her age group.  Her race was two long laps around the outside of the field, and with a sprint at the end, she almost caught the leader, but came in second.

At last, Madeleine gets to race.

First lap!  Madeleine is in the pink shorts, in case her pale skin did not give her away.

Second lap; the runners are still neck and neck.

We are very proud of her for competing!  It sounds like there is another race in early April, but our girl may have had enough for a while.  She finds sprinting to be more fun than longer distance running.  Perhaps though she will agree to some rocky road runs with Nik up toward Lake Cote.

The rest of the day was taken up with more studying.  Both Madeleine and Henry had their social studies tests today.  Henry's covered the geologic formation of Costa Rica, and Madeleine's the early explorers in Costa Rica and the regions of the country today (all in Spanish of course).  These were challenging exams, but it sounds like their many hours of studying with Nik paid off.  Madeleine's friend, Tatiana, reported to Nik that Madeleine was one of three students to get a perfect score on the Spanish exam.  Madeleine is skeptical, but somehow we would not be surprised.  Tatiana came home with Madeleine after school today so that Nik and Madeleine could help her with math, the subject of tomorrow's exams.  Nik put both girls through their paces, while also helping Henry and keeping Sully under control (I was getting some work done).  Nik has been a tireless tutor these last few days.  He may find his next couple of weeks back in the ED in Portland relaxing!

The boys in search of bugs behind our house.  Sully always has some vessel in need of a bug occupant.