Week Eleven Term Four

 Christmas concert in 30 degree heat.

 A final catchup with Graham.

 Nigel Don and I go out for Chinese lunch again.

 The report card grade data show.

 The grade 3/4 team out for end of year dinner.

 The whole team including Libby and me.

 Kids performing during the 'talent' show.

 The happy couple.

Steve and Jillian.

December 12-16^th

At the beginning of the last Monday morning assembly, Amanda announced to the students and parents that there were a number of staff leaving. She mentioned that, “this year Carol and Joe have been with us on a teacher exchange and will be returning to Canada”. Then she listed the teachers who are taking a leave and finally the ones who are leaving for other teaching assignments. She wished us all the best in our future years of teaching and the rest of our career.

On the way home I came across a school that was having a Christmas concert in the yard. I went in to have a look. There was a stage with grade 2's singing Santa songs while the parents sat on blankets and chairs in the yard. All in thirty degree heat. They took a short break to change classes and I went up and introduced myself to the music teacher. I told him it was a little different than they way we do it at home.

That evening Graham and I got together for the last time this year. Tess and the boys are in Sweden with her mom and Graham is flying out on Friday to join them. We had a couple of Beechworth Pale Ales (from the craft brewery we had a drink at in Beechworth and which I found in Woolworths) and a quiche for dinner and talked about our time here, our travels together and the possibility of meeting up again in the future. I really appreciated the time they took to spend with me.

On Tuesday for professional learning all the grade teams presented their data shows of the mark and grade distribution for this semester. The report marks are in 'progression points' which have to be converted to grades, like A, B, etc. They also had to be split by girls and boys. Then the team leader for each grade team had to talk to the results. It was a long and tedious meeting and no one had anything really insightful to say about the results. Not really sure why all that effort was required.

On Wednesday before singing, the team wanted me to show some 'social justice' photos to the grade 3's and 4's. Unfortunately it took half the time trying to get the projection equipment to work properly, but eventually I was able to show the kids some pictures of children living much less fortunate lives than them. Then I had to turn it over to Joel and singing.

After school, we had our grade 3/4 end of semester dinner. On the way there I checked out the Avenue Bookstore which is just around the corner from the restaurant. This is the store where the parents had purchased a gift certificate for Claire and I. I saw a couple of books but I am reluctant to buy books that I have to put in my luggage.

Then I met Emily, Libby and Carol at Tommy Ruff's Fish Bar at 5:30. We had a drink outside while we waited for Shauna, Don, Claire and Anne Cecile to join us. When everyone arrived we went to our indoor table and ordered. I had a 'blue eye' fish fillet on noodles with veggies and a coconut sauce. We had a lot of laughs talking about our team. We all agreed that we had the best team in the school. As it turns out of the seven of us, only Anne Cecile will be on the team next year. Don and Claire are moving to grade 5, Emily and Libby are leaving the school and Carol and I are heading home. Claire showed everyone a video she made for me of my experience here at the 'crazy school'. Had us both in tears.

After dinner, Claire, Anne Cecile, Don and I went to a little restaurant on Glen Huntley for another drink. We had a good talk about traveling and living in Australia. The women are from France and Don spent a long time in England and although he is Australia, he says he'd prefer to live there. Then we broke up and everyone went home.

Thursday, we watched a documentary on You Tube called Walk to School, which tied in nicely with my talk and slideshow of poverty around the world. It was about the challenges some people face trying to get to school, two siblings in Kenya having to walk 2 hours every day in country populated by elephants, three girls in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco who have to walk 4 hours every Monday and return on Friday, and two brothers in India who push their handicapped brother in a wheelchair for 2 hours everyday. My class, Claire's and Don's all watched it together and they seemed intrigued.

On Thursday and Friday afternoon we had a 'Talent' show for the grade 3 and 4's. We did the same thing last term and it went well, but unfortunately this time there was little talent and a lot of silliness. The girls in the photos were the two best groups of singers and dancers.

On Friday we had our end of term performance assembly. Joel lead all the grades in songs. Then Rohan announced that Joel will not be at school next week as he is getting married! After the assembly Joel brought his fiance, Tegan, up to meet me. They are both very excited as they start a life together.

Friday night I drove down to Mt Eliza to have dinner with Steve Schneider, from the ITA, and his wife Jillian. We had a great catch up and a lovely bbq'd steak dinner. I met Steve at the orientation back in January and we met up a couple of times during the year. I was hoping to see him and his wife at the ITA Farewell Dinner but Jillian was not well.