School and Photos From Last Weekend

I have no photos from the last three days to share, so I am including some from last weekend.

 A pelican that I was watching for a while on top of a light standard on Phillip Island.

 A Little Penguin and chick in a man made home on Phillip Island.

 That wallaby hopping away past the grandstand.

 The funky cabin I slept in on Phillip Island behind the cottage that Leora rented.

 Some different types of road kill.

Gotta love this message!

Tuesday, February 16th.

I decided to drive in today as we have a parent night tonight and I don't want to ride home that late. The day went well with the kids. They have all brought the Self Portrait Projects to school and we had a gallery walk where they could all see each other's. They enjoyed that.

After school, the grade 3/4 team got ready for the evening presentation to the parents. Then Carol, Libby and I went for dinner at a small neighbourhood Asian restaurant where we could get dumplings and Chinese style food. Libby is an experienced teacher but new to the school and has been very supportive of Carol and I.

At the meeting Don introduced our team and then talked to the parents for about a half hour about what we are going to teach and what the school expects. Claire delivered the same information in French as we are truly a bilingual school.

Drove home and started a new book about the Rolling Stones called Sympathy For the Devil. It focuses more on the role of Brian Jones and his era.

Wednesday, February 17^th.

Got ready to ride the bike to school, but it started to rain so I drove. I wanted to stop at the bicycle shop on the way home, where I bought my bicycle and buy some arm warmers, a plastic cover for my backpack to keep it dry and a flashing rear USB light, but they didn't have what I wanted (except the light) so I will go somewhere else later.

The drive in was long, lots of traffic and it seems a really long way. I think I will take the train more often as it is just as quick and I can read.

School was uneventful, with nothing really to relate. Starting to settle into a routine and feeling comfortable.

Bought a few groceries, had sushi for dinner from a takeout and spent a relaxing evening. I went to bed early as I am feeling quite tired.

Thursday, February 18^th.

I rode the bike to school this morning. It was a pleasant journey with a little mist in the air. I prefer the ride in by bike rather than car and it actually seems shorter and it takes only slightly longer on the bike.

Nothing too much to report about school other than I had a good day with the kids with writing and math. I am reading the Parvana book (about a young girl growing up in Taliban Afghanistan) to them and they love it. I have had parents comment favourably about their child's interest in the book too.

Today on the ride home I stopped at a Shell gas station to fill my bicycle tires and discovered an air machine where you select the pressure you want, attach the hose by a clamp to the valve and it fills the tire and stops when it's full. How civilized is that? But the best part is that it's free! It doesn't work on road bike tire valves though, only the ones like car tires, which I have on my hybrid.

Also stopped at a store called Anaconda which reminded me of Mountain Coop Equipment. I bought lights for the bike and arm warmers. We are heading towards winter here and I will need the warmers and it's slowly getting darker in the morning, and the afternoon too I guess.

When I got home I dropped off the bike and went for a walk to the shops to pick up a salad. The weather today was sunny and warmer and less windy than the last couple of days. Relaxed and off to bed early again.