Because they know I love pink

School has finished up for the year, and we are all very excited (and not a little relieved) to be on summer holidays.  You don't know what kids take in until they do something that makes you aware of the little, seemingly insignificant things.

Apparently the two students who brought me these gifts noticed that pink is my favourite colour.  It might have been the new pink phone.  Or the phone cover - also pink.  And flowery.  Perhaps it was the computer with the pink shell-cover.  Could also have been the heart necklace with the pink fake-pearl in it.  Either way two of my students were so observant they chose to bless me with pink gifts on Tuesday.

The macarons were delicious, and tasted pink, if that were even possible.  The lychee hand cream smells divine.  And pink.

I don't think you're meant to have favourite students, but I have a little handful of kids that have certainly touched a soft place in my heart.  Lucky for me I get to keep a couple of them next year.  But the ones leaving my classroom, or leaving the school, are definitely taking a little piece of my heart with them.

And a little bit of pink!

And then it was Production Day

Miss Mischief has been planning a High Tea for her VCE Food & Technology subject for weeks.  And weeks.  And maybe a few more weeks.  There have been production plans coming out of her ears, and searching for recipes all over the place.  She had to have six complex processes (whatever that means), which had her making things from scratch that you would normally just buy.

After weeks of planning she had days of cooking.  Things that required freezing to 'preserve' them were done in advance.  Lots of things happened yesterday morning.  In the process we learnt about fixing runny and split mayonnaise, and how to repair split, oily caramel.  That was my job - googling how to fix stuff....

Finally, after all the cooking, and repairing, and mixing and stirring and photo-taking of every. single. step. (thank you Mr Busy, oh photographer extraordinaire!) we got to eat.

Cupcakes, and sponge cakes and profiteroles and sandwiches with all the complex things that went with them.  And tea.  Miss Mischief outdid herself.  Her high tea was a smashing success.

And we left the dishes till this morning.  Because none of us could look at it!

Big Transitions: Hints for Transitioning to Secondary School

It's a mere two, or so, weeks until school begins again for the year, here in Victoria.  If you have a child who is Autistic or an anxiety disorder I'm nearly 100% certain your child's anxiety levels are beginning to rise.  I have such a soft spot in my heart for the kids who struggle with school and need a lot of support through transitions, whether they be big or small.  This week I have been pondering the big transitions from primary to secondary school.  Even if your child is in a P-12 school that transition to secondary school is huge.  For a child with Autism and/or anxiety disorders that transition becomes bigger than Ben Hur.  Following are some hints to managing this enormous transition:

Visit the school before classes begin.
Your child may have already had an opportunity to attend an orientation session or two at their secondary school.  That may seem like a distant memory as the new school year approaches!  If possible, try and organise a time to visit the campus with your child before the new school year begins.  Administrative staff are probably already back, so it may be possible to have someone take you to see your child's home room and some of the other specialist classrooms.  If you know some other children in your child's class you could also plan to invite another family to have a picnic in the school grounds together a couple of times before school begins. 

By planning short visits to the school campus before school begins your child will have some time to become familiar with the school grounds before it is filled with students and teachers.  They will be able to orient themselves to where the lockers, drinking taps and toilets are in relation to their classroom.  They will be able to visualise all of these details clearly before they arrive on their first day.

Take photos.
When you are visiting take some photos of your child in various places in the school, hopefully with a happy smile on their gorgeous shiny faces.  In the lead up to school beginning you can review these photos together and talk about your visit.  You can also begin conversations about what they might get to do when they get to school.  If you've had an opportunity to speak to someone at the school you can remind your child about some of the things your learned.

Make a social story booklet.
If you're fortunate the school may have already provided your child with a transition booklet with some photos and information they will need to know for their first few days.  This is a practice I instituted in Our School because I could see that my precious school babies would need support over the holidays as they prepared to begin the school year.  Especially if they were heading into a new classroom with a new teacher.  My transition booklets include photos and information about the teachers they will have (all of them!!), photos of the classroom, where bags will be hung up, toilets and drinking taps and play areas.  If your child is in a P-12 school and remaining on the same campus it is important to detail the things that will remain the same for them.  Even if your child is moving to a completely new school there are some things that are the same in every school.  There is always a break for recess and lunch.  They will still change classrooms for specialist subjects, just like they did in primary school.  Following are the headings I use in my transition books:

1. Calendar
   I include a calendar from the end of the school year through to the beginning of the next year with a little explanation of how long the school holidays are and when school will begin again.
2. At the start of next year
   This information is all about how the beginning of the year will happen - what day of the week they begin and what to expect on the first day.  For example, there may be a whole-school assembly at some point in the morning session, there may be special activities the school does on the first day. 
3. My teachers
   This page is filled with photos of teachers with their names and the subjects they teach.
4. My classroom
   On this page are photos of the inside and outside of the classroom, the bag hooks and the lockers.
5. Things I need to remember
   The details on this page are about where the toilets and drinking taps are, which play spaces they are allowed to use and the procedures for eating at recess and lunch time.  They may eat inside or be required to sit outside to eat.
6. Children in my class
   This page contains a list of the names of the children in the class. 

Organise a meeting with your child's class teacher and aide.
As soon as it is possible in the school year, organise a meeting with your child's teacher and, if possible, with their aide (if they will have one).  Many schools have some student-free teacher preparation time before school begins so if you're able to meet before school begins that will be beneficial to you, your child and those who will be caring for your child.  If you can come prepared with information about your child that will help their teachers to plan for their transition to school this will help make those first few days as smooth as possible.  As an educator the questions I have include:

1. What does your child enjoy doing for relaxation?
2. What is your child really good at?
3. What does your child struggle with the most?
4. What kinds of things might trigger a meltdown?
5. How do you handle meltdowns and the recovery?
6. What are some signs that a meltdown might be imminent?
7. What do you use as a circuit breaker?
8. Does your child have a particular interest or passion?

As a parent, I think one of the most challenging things we are required to do is hand our precious, beloved babies over to someone else for hours and hours at a time.  Especially when we know our babies are anxious about being in the place we are required to leave them. Making time to meet with the people who will be responsible for your child, and share information with them, will get that important relationship off to a positive start.  At Year 7 level it might be a good idea to have your child with your when you meet their teacher.  Get your child to talk about their interests and the things they are good at in school.  They may even be willing to share some of the things they are worried about.

Organise your child's folders, books and timetable.
I am fairly sure your child's timetable is already organised.  This is usually completed by the end of the previous school year, in order to solidify staffing needs.  You should be able to request a copy of your child's timetable before the school year begins.  I would highly recommend colour-coding your child's timetable.  This will cater to their visual needs and help them decipher the information more easily.  If you could cover or label your child's books and folders with colours to match their timetable this will help them to independently organise themselves throughout the day.  In the front of each book or folder, it would also help if there is a list of the things they need to bring to class for that subject.  This is information you can ask for when you meet your child's teacher, or by phoning the school.

I have noticed, over many years, that children on the autism spectrum tend to have pencil cases stuffed full of so many things they are unable to find their pens and pencils in order to begin their work.  A pencil case with two pockets can really help with this.  The smaller pocket can be used to house the things they are likely to need in every single lesson.  These might include grey lead pencil, pens, eraser, and if the pencil case is long enough, a ruler.  The bigger pocket can be used to contain coloured pencils, textas, a glue stick and a pair of scissors.  Please be diligent and name the items!!  I know most schools provide class sets of scissors and glue sticks, but in my experience this seems to be the time when children with autism struggle.  The getting up and trying to find these items seems to cause some disorientation and disrupts their ability to maintain focus and concentration.  If these items are at their finger tips it is one less thing to distract them.

The other thing I would highly recommend is those erasable pens that are available now.  I have yet to meet a child on the spectrum who deals with errors in their work terribly well.  Liquid paper is always such a hassle, but an erasable pen is as easy to use as a pencil and eraser.  The only caution there is that they don't go through laminators - the ink disappears!  If your child's teacher wants to laminate a piece of work they'll need to photocopy it first.

I hope the beginning of the school year goes as smoothly as possible and that your child thrives in their new school environment.  I wish I could hold all of their precious hands and walk each step of the way with them in person.  I know that with some preparation now your child will be prepared for what will come!

Snap! 'Corruptions'

Photo Credit

I had my niece in a language rotation group yesterday.  When I told her I needed to read the instructions first because I was pretty sure we were meant to play Snap! instead of Memory she responded "Oooohhhh, I didn't know this game had corruptions".  Needless to say I laughed.  And laughed.  "Honey, they're INstructions" I said, when she looked at me wondering what was so funny.  She didn't get it.

You heard it here first, people.  Innocent games corrupt the unwary player!

The Parenting Files: The Reward Dilemma

We're working on Mr Busy's attitude towards homework and getting his grades up to where he is capable of achieving.  If you have boys you know most of them would rather be 'doing' something rather than sitting in front of books, but this is our education system and the books are here to stay for a while.  So Dh has been working on spelling with Mr Busy.  A few weeks back when we were helping him practise for his weekly spelling test he wanted to know what he would get if he got 100% (15 words on the list).  I flippantly said "you'll get dinner that night" and he got 100% along with a delicious meal and lots of praise.

Tonight, after working hard and practising every day he came home with 14 out of 15 correct.  Did you know "annually" has two n's?  Mr Busy forgot that.  When I jokingly told him I wouldn't be able to give him dinner - roast chicken - he laughed, hugged me and said "let's not tell Dad".  Well of course we'll tell Dad and he'll get fed and all will be well.  Don't worry - my children remind me often it is illegal not to feed them, and it hasn't happened by my hand even one time in all their lives.  Occasionally they have tried the "Yuck, I'm not eating that" and decided that particular choice was....unwise.  But it begs the question: how do you encourage your children to do their best when they would rather just not do the work?

I know some people pay their kids.  I feel really uncomfortable about that.  There are lots of situations in life where you will be required to do stuff without any apparent tangible reward.  Sometimes you just have to do stuff because it's the right thing to do not because you'll get something out of it.  It's a lesson easier that I think is easier to learn in your youth than as an adult.  The girls have always been brilliant about trying hard and getting their homework done and handing things in on time.  What can I say, they are quite stereotypical in this regard - they will sit in front of their homework and keep going even when they feel cranky about it.  Mr Busy informed me he has decided he wants to do a degree in IT when he finishes school.  And for now that is my leverage.  In order to get into Uni, in Australia, you are awarded an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) score based on your Yr12 results and declares your worthiness of University entrance.  Uni's set the scores for entrance and it varies depending on course, university and campus within a university.  Complex stuff.  For now I am encouraging Mr Busy to aim for the goal = getting into Uni to study computers.

If you can't run around then you may as well play with computers.  Cantankerous things!

Celebrating Others Through Food

Over this summer I've done two more units for my degree - both finish up this week.  One of the units has been about cultural awareness with a focus on indigenous Australians.  I've often found the lectures long and rambly.  Even boring at times.  Yet I have learnt so much about myself, what I believe and feel about people difference from myself and where my beliefs come from.  I am feeling incredibly blessed to have experienced living overseas as a white minority.  It's an unusual circumstances and much of who I am today is because of that experience.  This week seems to be a celebration of other cultures, as if everything over my summer has all come together at the end of it all.

Sunday was Chinese New Year.  We had Yum Cha bits and pieces along with an Asian noodle soup (pictured above).  It was really good, considering it was more of an idea than a recipe.  I've had leftovers for lunch for two days.  Yum.  Today, of course, is Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day).  Although this is not a practice of a particular racial group, it is something done by people whose religious practices differ a little from mine.  So tonight we're having cannelloni made from crepes.  I hate stuffing those silly pasta tubes so I always make crepes to make this dish.  It's cooking right now and a salad is all that will accompany it.

This afternoon the Prep's made pancakes too.  Every child got to put something into the bowl, or mix the batter.  A parent did the cooking for us.  And then we got to eat.  Yum!  What a great way to end the day.

Salad preparation awaits......what's on your plate for dinner tonight?

The Family that Educates Together....And other school stories

My SIL has joined the staff at Our School.  It was a very exciting day when we discovered she'd been offered the job and we've been waiting for what seems like forever for the new school year to begin so she could actually be with us.  Mr Busy is the lucky soul who gets to have her for a class teacher - the boy is school heaven.  I get to have lunch with her every day.

I think I'm pretty lucky too - I get to work in a classroom with my niece (said SIL's daughter).  And because 6yo's are hilarious I have spent the last 3 days laughing or shaking my head at her antics.  Yesterday the kids were drawing pictures of their families.  My gorgeous niece didn't put Mum in her picture.

Me:  G, where's your Mum?
G:  She's at work.
Me:  But if I look at your picture it looks like you don't have a Mum.  You need to put her in there.

Miss G hopped to and drew in Mum.  And then she started drawing orange spikes on her Dad's head.  Now my brother shaves his head so what little would be left up there is whisked off anyhow.

Me:  G, your Dad doesn't have hair, why are you drawing him with some?
G:  Yes he does, it's all spiky.
Me:  Oh...like when he doesn't shave his face?
G:  YES!

She then went on to draw orange spikes on her Dad's arms and legs.  Now I know my brother does not shave arms and legs but there was  no convincing Miss G.  And I'm a smart lady, so I chose not to argue with the 6yo and left that one alone.  But I had a great time telling her Mum at lunch time.

Meanwhile one of  my Yr2 boys in that class with says he's allergic to me, the classroom and his hat. Sigh.  I still have the iPad - it has to count for something.

Another little man has joined the class and sits near Mr Allergy.  He is delightful and quiet and funny and I think he likes me too.  I am looking forward to getting to know him.  I think we'll be fine friends.

A third little boy was flopped out on the floor just before lunch with a teddy from home.  I whispered in his ear that if he went to play in the library at lunch time he might find time and space to have a lie-down in there.  He wasn't sharing that info with the energiser bunnies at his table!  I'll have to ask if he did - but he seemed excited about the prospect of it being a possibility.

One of my Prep boys tells me he doesn't want to be at school.  And he doesn't.  He really wants to be home with Mum.  So it warmed my soul to see him smiling and playing with another little boy who is just gorgeous and gentle whilst being all boy.   At the end of the day I assured him I was looking forward to seeing him tomorrow.  It is heartbreaking to see him struggle with separation.  But it is also very cute to see him watching the bee on our daily timetable get to the bottom when he knows he'll see Mum.

Finally, I have begun oh so well, making one of my Prep boys cry.  Yell actually.  I warned the teacher as I headed over to him to stop him from swinging a basket around dangerously inside the classroom that I was about to incite that response.  I had to follow through on a consequence - he felt the need to object loudly. We talked, he cried some more.  I found reasons for him to end the day with a sticker.  He cried some more.  His parents arrived during the offended yelling he performed.  And they applauded the stern approach.  He's pretty cute, even when he's offended!

Did you know little people are tiring?  They grow and develop so much over a year that I had forgotten again.

Bunyips and Other Mysteries

photo credit:  booksdirect.com.au

I bought this book the other day.  My Yr1 student has a bit of a 'thing' for bunyips at the moment.  And the Loch Ness Monster.  And Pacman.  And sharks. And Battleships.  And Traffic Rush on my iPad.   Anyway, the day he asked about bunyips we googled a bit to see what they looked like.  When I came across this book I knew it was a 'must have'.  Really....Jackie French and Bruce Whatley...it's going to be good!  I ordered the book and it finally arrived so I took it to school and we read it together during 'silent reading'.  Our reading isn't so silent, since I'm reading out loud.  And the other kids on the table are often listening in and peering over pencil and texta pots to see the pictures. 

Emily was a hit.  The big bad bunyip was super duper.  My student was a happy boy.  I might have even won a few brownie points that day.  That might have also been the day I declared myself to be Steve Irwin and that I needed to wrestle a crocodile off to the safety of the teacher's desk.  I haven't seen the crocodile hat since.  It had been on this boy's head for two solid weeks, apart from when we wrestled it off him during class time.  Thank you Steve Irwin!

Emily and her bunyip have also entertained my nieces, who were here for the day last weekend.  Really....it's a great book.  A bit of a Christmas theme runs through it, but none of us really cared!

As for the next two weeks....no bunyips, emus or crocodiles will cross the threshhold on this side of my picket fence.  We're on holidays.  I have two full, whole, blessed weeks.  To study.   And spend time with the children.  The thing I'm looking forward to most?  Having time to enjoy cooking really yummy and meals that are perhaps time consuming in the preparation.  And I'm looking forward to just being able to take my study at a slightly slower pace.  I'll only have two weeks of the semester left when I go back to work so I might even be able to get a little bit ahead.

The best news of the week came when my boss announced some new teachers joining our Secondary school next year.  One of them is my sister-in-law.  She'll teach Miss Sunshine and Mr Busy.  We're all incredibly excited.  Four months until the beginning of next year seems a long way off!

Put Your Glasses On

My youngest student comes out with some hilarious off-the-cuff comments from time to time.  Little kids come out with some great one-liners and part of what makes them so funny is that they often have things quite upside down and don't realise it.  I had one such moment this week.  My student was enamored with a book about sharks, which had plenty of pictures of sharks which were labelled with captions identifying what kind of shark they were.  One page had a shark approaching a shark cage, and the caption was to do with the cage, not the shark.

Student:  What shark is that?
Me:  I don't know, it doesn't say.
Student:  No, what's that shark?
Me:  The words are talking about the shark cage, not the shark.  It doesn't say what the shark is.
Student:  Yes, but what shark is it?
Me:  [read the caption].  See, it talks about the cage.
Student:  Put your glasses on!

Because in the mind of a 7yo putting on glasses, that help you see, will help you read things that aren't on the page.

I wish!

Exploits of a Very Hungry Caterpillar

photo credit:  google search for the very hungry caterpillar

Eric Carle's very famous, very hungry caterpillar was my teaching companion today.  'My' Year 6 class have been exploring the use of adjectives along with interesting verbs and adverbs to make writing more interesting.  I love The Very Hungry Caterpillar, so I decided he could help my students really get a handle on how these words can be used to add detail and interest to writing.  I made a PowerPoint of Eric Carle's story and then together we worked through the text and added description and detail.  The kids did SUCH a great job. I was torn between wanting to keep going with the editing and needing to get them writing for themselves!!!!

Our version is nearly finished - we'll do some more on Friday.  The writing the kids did was to rewrite the story (all or part) from the caterpillar's point of view, and to make the piece as descriptive as they were able.  So far their work looks fantastic - I can't wait to see how they finish up with it!

Meanwhile, I had a small group of students working on producing illustrated stories for the Prep's, as their writing was already of a really high standard.  I can't wait to see their finished product as well.  I know the Prep's will love having some new stories to read - especially when they know that the Year 6's have written stories just for them!

I truly am going to be quite sad to leave this classroom and go back to my 'regular' job.  I've so enjoyed teaching over the last three weeks.  It's such a long time until my next teaching rounds - a whole six months!!

I can't wait to see my own students though.  

How to Cope with a Hard Day

I felt a bit like this picture after work this afternoon.  Inevitable when one of my students was having a particularly difficult day.  Kinda makes my day difficult too!  My children have been told that I might not be capable of being rational and we'll buy dinner because my arms are too tired to even hold a cup of tea up without support.  I am spent.


Days like today happen.  They're hard, heartbreaking days sometimes.  I cope with days like today because I work with amazing people who work together to sort out the immediate situation.  And then they offer their support as we debrief afterwards.  Our days begin with prayer for what will come our way - today proved they are a necessary part of our shared day.  Without their affirmation and care my work would be that much harder!  And I cope with days like today by recognising that not all behaviour in my students is borne of a desire to simply misbehave.  Sometimes they just don't know how to communicate what they're struggling with or how to work it through.  Frances posted, today, about how gracious her neighbour was in an obviously distressing moment.  I think that's part of the key to coping when things are tough.  Being gracious.  Understanding that people have things going on in their lives that impacts the way they interact.  And knowing that sometimes things happen that weren't intended.  Forgiveness.

I wish I could just sit with my student, give him a big hug and offer assurance that I could make everything better.  And I wish that it would be true.

No More School, No More Books....

Well...we don't have much experience in our school with the rest of that poem, but school IS finished for the year.  Before us stretches out six weeks of summer holiday ... well, five weeks for me.

There is something very precious about the end to the school year.  My pigeon hole has been constantly refilled with little gifts and cards with beautiful expressions of appreciation for the way I have blessed others through the year.  There are class parties throughout the school.  We enjoy a whole-school assembly, reminiscing about the joys and highlights of the year.  We farewell people (OK, not so fun!). When I told the Year 6's that I would have the privilege of working with them a little again next year they were as excited as I was.  They are so incredibly precious and they've grown so much.  We all have.

Today, with no students remaining the staff spent time packing up and have enjoyed a final meal together.  I am again reminded that I work with the most amazing and beautiful people. And I wondered today, why it is that we wait until the end of the year to express our feelings for one another, appreciating the time, talents, gifts and blessings that others pour out on us and our school community.  I don't usually make resolutions for the new year, but I think it a worthy pursuit to encourage others throughout the year.  Don't you agree?

As much as I need a break and I'm quite ready to rest I can't wait to return to Work Break and catch up with my colleague-friends.

Tribute to a Fine Teacher

My farewell poem to the man who has taught two of our children over four of the last five years. A man who talks about sowing into the lives of children and "sucking the life" out of every moment. A teacher who is one-of-a-kind and whom we will miss incredibly.

So Long, Mr W

Sowing into tender souls – it’s what you say’s important

Sowing what I speculated, what is it you’ve supported?

Stuffing stuff up your nose and serenading the times tables

Simulated accents, backwards names – they are not fables

Silliness and nonsense, hilarity and mirth

Snickering, tomfoolery – is this all that you have birthed?

So much more, I’d dare to say, you’ve sown into young lives

So much more than we suspected, within the walls of your class hive

Soaking in the Spirit on each scion in your care

Sowing love, you have taught them to be all that they would dare

Sucking life from every day, that’s what’s been important

Stretching, training, loving them – that’s what you’ve supported.

Monday Menu Plan: Week Beginning 14 November

The title of this post is really a misnomer.  In the flurry of preparing for the weekend and shopping to feed 40 people I did not plan nor shop for us.  "I'll do it on Monday", I foolishly thought.  My achy, tired muscles simply won't allow it.  And I just don't want to go very fast at the moment.  So I've planned to have roast chicken on Wednesday night and to do a mystery dinner for the Year 8 girls to celebrate Miss Mischief's long-past birthday.  That's it.  That's all there is.  I'll have to take my achy self to venture through the cupboards and freezer to see what I can find.  Truthfully this might be a quick trip because my knees are not happy.  And that makes me sound far older than I truly am, but netball in my young adult years was not kind to me.

Dh, Miss Mischief and I spent the weekend with her class and quite a few other parents and a couple of teachers on the annual 'Man From Snowy River' camp. Our Year 8's study 'The Man From Snowy River' as one of their English texts and an elective camp is part of the package.  They camp in tents with no power or shower block, although there are well-maintained drop loo's.  Meals are all cooked over a camp fire and you have to take everything you need in with you, and everything including your rubbish out at the end.  Throughout the camp the kids get to see and experience some sights from the movie, such as horseriding around the area where that magnificent downhill ride scene was filmed.  They got to see that hill and hear the story of the filming of that scene.  They also hike to the top of 'The Bluff' - an arduous and challenging trek for those of us who are uphill-walking challenged.

The kids were fabulous all weekend long and we all had a lovely time together.  My most memorable moment?  Getting to the top of that silly Bluff and looking over directly at Mt Buller.  Incredible!  Worst moment?  Getting to the top of that silly Bluff.  And walking along the ridge and down to Bluff Hut was pretty tough too - just because it wasn't straight up didn't mean it was easy walking.

Alright.  I've put dinner off for long enough. Come along achy muscles and cranky knees, it's time to find something for dinner.

The Bush, Creeks and Other Natural Things

Monbulk Creek (Dandenong Ranges).  Image credit: bushwalkingjournal.blogspot.com

This afternoon my son's class went on a bit of a wander down our school's nature trail.  It was a beautiful example of integrating the study of English, appreciating the environment and faith.  Something I think I'm going to use as an example for my current essay on influences of educational stakeholders and their influence on my personal beliefs about education!

The kids were asked to walk silently through the bush and use their senses to notice things like sounds, smells, how the sun felt, how they felt and how it made them feel about God.  They then went and sat down in a less damp area of the school grounds and wrote their own psalm.  They were beautiful, heartfelt expressions of young faith in response to God's creation.  They were so sacred I felt reluctant to correct spelling errors.

As I wandered along, last in the line, I was listening to the creek.  It was bubbling along and sounded like it had plenty of water in it.  It made me think of abundant blessings and the way God's love for us is pure, clean and fresh, just like that creek water.  God's love flows freely.  The only restriction to a normal, healthy creek are the things we build up and put in the way.  It is those things that stop the creek from flowing.  It's very much the same with us and God.  The thing that stops us from experiencing His abundant, freely flowing love for us is....well....us.  More specifically it's the things we put in the way.

Our staff are in for a very precious treat at devotions tomorrow morning and I'm feeling a little sad that I'll miss it.  Many of the children generously offered their psalms to the teacher for her to read to the rest of the teachers in the morning.  How blessed we are to work in a place where God is at the centre of all that is done.

Something Delicious About Friday

This is the first year that I've worked on Friday's.  When I had Friday off, my weekends started on Thursday evenings, and there is something lacking in that anticipation of the weekend's arrival.  School, and other daily acitivities are still in the full swing of routine on Thursday.

This year, I have Thursday off.  It's working better than I imagined.  The few times I've swapped days, Thursday has proven to be a difficult day to do from a timetabling point of view.  So now that I work a Friday, there is that declicious anticipation of the weekend that comes along with it.  Friday is a a bit of a winding down kind of day.  Of course there is lots of work, but....there's that anticipation!

This week's anticipation includes my nieces' combined birthday party.  A trip to a Geppetto's store must surely be in the wind, in search of the perfect gift(s).  Maybe a little assignment writing.  Perhaps some Cosby Show or Little House on the Prairie.  Definitely some reading.  A Sunday night roast might just top it all off.

What's your favourite thing about Friday?

Monday Menu Plan: Week Beginning 11 April

Today has passed by in a blur!  Mr Busy has entertained himself while the girls went and picked chestnuts for a school family.  They returned home with glorious reports of money earned and time spent with friends.  Me?  I studied.  All day.  Just as well I'm on holidays from school because this week would be a bit difficult to get my head around otherwise.  I have to construct a presentation for one of my subjects and there are plenty of information sharing websites being suggested.  But their use is making my head hurt and my blood pressure rise.  Rather than become a basketcase, I began in PowerPoint and will upload to one of the sites from there.

I had intended to clean the oven today, disgraceful thing that it is.  Alas, I forgot to become unobsessed about my presentation task!  Perhaps tomorrow.

In terms of food, however, we're completely covered.  Planning is done, shopping was completed on Saturday with the help of Miss Mischief and we're ready to deal with holiday appetites.  For me that means eating less....for the kids it means eating more.  They get bored and think eating is a way to entertain themselves.  I need to get them baking first!

Monday:  Meatloaf, vegies
Tuesday:  Redcurant lamb chops, vegies
Wednesday: Honey mustard chicken, vegies
Thursday:  Ricotta fritters, vegies
Friday:  Dinner at my brother's
Saturday: Perhaps we need to plan for visitors?
Sunday:  Soup, english muffin pizzas

So on our holiday agenda apart from eating?  Mr Busy will be doing NAPLAN testing early in Term 2 so he will be getting on Matheletics most days and I need to sit with him and figure out some strategies for brainstorming ideas for writing a persuasive text.  He gets writers block in the ideas stage.  Poor boy.  I'll be studying in between other things and I suppose some planning of those 'other things' might not go astray!

What do you like to do on school holidays?

Still Smiling

I work in lots of different classrooms.  With lots of different children.  Not only do I work with the children who require extra support, but it is inevitable that I spend time with almost every other student at some point.  When you spend 10 lessons of the week in any one class you become pretty attached to one another.

On Tuesday when I was skitting off to another classroom half way through an afternoon the Prep's (5 & 6yo's) were asked to say good afternoon to me.  Which they did.  And then they spontaneously errupted into a loud chorus of "We love you!!".

Yesterday as I was heading off to have my lunch one of the Prep girls came back into the classroom just to say goodbye and to tell me she hoped I would enjoy my lunch.

They are such precious little people.  They have their quirks and we have some frustrating days here and there.  But they have the ability to make me smile for days just because they are who they are.

Monday Menu Plan: Week beginning 28 March

The week ahead brings things like parent/teacher interviews.  And the anticipation of school holidays just around the corner.  I can't wait.  It's been a long term, but it's been a short term.  I can't believe first term is almost over.  Already!  And yet I'm ready.  It's funny how body-weariness tells you more truth than your brain can comprehend. 

I have Miss Mischief back from her week-long school camp.  My how I missed that girl...and not just because she cooks a fine meal.  No, I just missed her.  I didn't miss her noise ~ she doesn't make much....or her humour, because she's pretty quiet.  Perhaps it's her quiet that I missed?  In any case, she's home and I'm happy to have her back.  And I'm happy she wasn't one of the three school camps airlifted out of Wilson's Promontory last week.  She was a fair way from there, but they still had rain anytime they went outside, apparently.

So on our table, with great thanks to my girls:

Monday:  Chicken wings, fried rice (Miss Sunshine)
Tuesday: Frittata, vegies (Miss Sunshine)
Wednesday:  Oven fried chicken, vegies (Miss Mischief)
Thursday:  Creamy pasta (Miss Mischief)

Friday: Potato & leek soup, bread/butter (Miss Sunshine)
Saturday: Tuna & rice
Sunday: Tomato soup, english muffin pizzas

And we're off to a great start to the week!

A Good Week's Work

I know the week isn't over yet.  But my work week is.  It's been a very interesting week!  I've touched base with students with whom I worked last year and enjoyed the more relaxed pace of older classrooms.  I've spent a lot of time in the younger classrooms getting to know new students  Hopefully we've been able to begin setting in place expectations and routines that will help them settle into our school quickly.  They are all gorgeous in their own unique ways.  The Prep's are hilarious.  I am loving spending time with the Year 2's, who were in Prep when last I worked in there.  And besides all of the students I work with, there are so many new young ones to get to know.  They are truly delightful.

We sat at recess today and every single one of us who work with children who have special needs had a "We did really well this morning" story to tell.  So the day didn't stay "really well" for all of them all the time.  But I'm thinking a day that doesn't include "I wish you were dead" is a really good day!  And that was today.

Tomorrow, I'm going to enjoy a day off....after I've rescued a mobilo train from the library so its creator is not distressed!