Ally The Canalian: Feels Like Home to Me

Hey everyone! Yes, I'm still alive. The last couple of weeks have been full of teaching and other fun activities.

The Year 1s and I are really starting to get rolling. Our first two weeks were a little chaotic with no real opportunity to really set up a routine as there were excursions, uniform free/fun days, Jump Rope for Heart and celebrations (Father's 80th birthday and our school's 40th Anniversary). This week has been almost distraction free and I actually feel like I'm getting some things accomplished, except for assessment (I guess my work ethic in Australia is no different than in Canada). Thank goodness there are only 2 reporting periods here. One mid-year and one at the end of the year.

This week (and the next couple of weeks), I will be teaching the Year 1s how to play hockey. Unfortunately, in the entire school we only have 3 floor hockey sticks. I may have to do something about that. Instead we are using field hockey sticks and the big foamie styrofoam type ones. My Year 1s were quite good on Wednesday and today I get to take on the other Year 1s.

I've also managed to teach my 1s the poem Alligator Pie. They were quite excited about the reference to hockey sticks. We also wrote a verse together called Kangaroo Meat. Today they are going to try and write their own Aussie verse. I'm really hoping for a platypus stew or emu cake. We'll see how it goes.

I'm starting to get used to the language differences and have actually gotten comfortable using and answering How you going? I also now use the word bench instead of counter, year instead of grade, bin instead of garbage and tub instead of bin (though I still sometimes mess up on this one. The kids now just laugh at me).

I've had some requests to hear more about the school so here goes:

Our school is 40 years old this year
It has recently been renovated
We have two classes for each grade except 4, 5, and 6 which only have one class per.
Our staff is fantastic
Each classroom has a 'wet area' to do painting and artwork
We have class sliding doors to our classrooms which I love
Kids each lunch and snack outside
Students have to wear uniforms (Wednesday and Friday are sport uniforms)
On sport days (Wed. and Fri.) teachers can wear trackies (track pants), running shoes and hoodies
Students must wear hats or they are not allowed out of the shade to play, even when it is only 20 degrees
Classrooms are smaller and all carpeted.
There are no locker, though students have cubbies for their bags
We are in the suburb of Waramanga, about a ten minute drive from my suburb of Monash
I teach 19 awesome kids

Now more about me. Last weekend I went to Sydney with Nat's brother and sister-in-law (who is 8 months pregnant). While Rob, Nat's brother, did a security course, Nicole and I visited Parklea Markets (where I bought random cheap souveniers and crap I probably don't need), killed the battery on the car by leaving the lights on and just randomly drove around South Sydney (I think we were south). Had a great day bonding with my adopted family members. Sunday I did more shopping at the Old Bus Depot Markets in Canberra. I bought some food and some artwork including an order for custom made didjeridoo from an Aboriginal artist. He's going to put a platypus on it for me and everything. I'm very excited.

This weeked I have been invited to 'barbie' at one my student's house and then I may go see the final home game for our local professional hockey team, the Canberra Knights. On Sunday, I'm invited to dinner at a staff member's house. I've definitely been well fed here. Some clothing is starting to feel a little tight, so it's a good thing that I've been invited to play on a netball team with a couple of student's parents. I've been told it is exceptionally violent (like most women's sports) and full of little stupid rules. It is basketball for girls, just like ringette is hockey for girls. We'll see how this goes.