Sometimes these reasons can be an enormous source of entertainment. Take this one for example.
And it came complete with a photo!
And then arrived the after shot - just love it!
03 December 2015
Putting a cat among the pigeons...or in this case, the hens!
Attendance at school is so important for academic and social progress - so important that when a child's rate of attendance falls below 85%, their academic progress is severely effected. Most families know that we take attendance very seriously, and they concientiously provide us with the reasons why their children are away.
Sometimes these reasons can be an enormous source of entertainment. Take this one for example.
(Names have been changed to protect the 'not so innocent'.)
And it came complete with a photo!
And then arrived the after shot - just love it!
So the moral of the story is - if you are going to be away from school, an entertaining reason softens the blow, and a photo always helps! :)
Sometimes these reasons can be an enormous source of entertainment. Take this one for example.
And it came complete with a photo!
And then arrived the after shot - just love it!
23 October 2015
Teachers love Fridays - and then there's swimming...
Teachers love Fridays. It's a great day of the week. Everyone is upbeat, we have Assembly, the weekend is coming... and then there's swimming.
This week's blogpost is a funny story of a day in the life of a teacher on swimming days. Thank you to Clair Allan for sharing this hilarious perspective.
'Today, take a moment to give Miss Lucy that extra warm smile and gratitude at the end of the day. It is at this time of year that my Fridays off come into their own as I think of my beautiful teaching partner. Just picture her day today......
It begins with 24 RIDICULOUSLY excited five year olds, who dressed in their lycra at potentially 5am and are now making their way onto an enormous bus. The head counts take at least 2-3 goes as those wriggling bodies bouncing with excitement, move about in the line ensuring they are counted at least twice, not to mention those high-pitch squeals that put your counting off each time.
Once they spot that aqua blue of the pool, that intensity increases, and the 24 begin to feel like 48 with the wriggling and bouncing turned up a notch. The swimming section of the day happens to be the easiest time - coaches to assist, and the love of the water that most of our children have is wonderful. At times there is always the couple that maybe terrified of the water, that is if not dressed from neck to knee in lycra yourself finds one teacher in a very awkward and revealing situation. This is normally something first year teachers experience on their first swimming trip - we 'oldies' have this element down pat by now!
The next part is the best! Back to the bus. Often still dripping and dragging their towel behind - someone has always left their goggles behind, or has someone else's thongs on to begin the trip to the bus! With all that avoided, the bus trip goes one of two ways! They are either more hyped than the trip there after their incredible swim or are zonked and falling asleep that results in tears as we wake those sleeping babes from their slumber.
Back at school...... this separates the birds and the pigeons. Who can dress themselves? And then dress themselves correctly? Shoes on the right feet, buttons done up straight, and clothes not inside out? There are always those pairs of undies that belong to no one yet sit in the middle of the carpet - quite obviously belonging to someone within the room. As well as the notorious bag of wet swimming clothes that often sit in the classroom for the next 5 weeks, again belonging to no one!
The day will often end with a few tears as those tired little bodies (up since 5.00am) start to fade, and that excitement turns into frustration with anything really. I can hear you all frantically signing up to either begin your teaching career or at the least beg desperately to Lucy to allow you to help this morning!
So, as you have finished drop off, and sat for your morning coffee, spare a thought for Miss Lucy. We definitely love our job, and wouldn't have it any other way! But swimming days are the ones that test us.'
This week's blogpost is a funny story of a day in the life of a teacher on swimming days. Thank you to Clair Allan for sharing this hilarious perspective.
'Today, take a moment to give Miss Lucy that extra warm smile and gratitude at the end of the day. It is at this time of year that my Fridays off come into their own as I think of my beautiful teaching partner. Just picture her day today......
It begins with 24 RIDICULOUSLY excited five year olds, who dressed in their lycra at potentially 5am and are now making their way onto an enormous bus. The head counts take at least 2-3 goes as those wriggling bodies bouncing with excitement, move about in the line ensuring they are counted at least twice, not to mention those high-pitch squeals that put your counting off each time.
Once they spot that aqua blue of the pool, that intensity increases, and the 24 begin to feel like 48 with the wriggling and bouncing turned up a notch. The swimming section of the day happens to be the easiest time - coaches to assist, and the love of the water that most of our children have is wonderful. At times there is always the couple that maybe terrified of the water, that is if not dressed from neck to knee in lycra yourself finds one teacher in a very awkward and revealing situation. This is normally something first year teachers experience on their first swimming trip - we 'oldies' have this element down pat by now!
The next part is the best! Back to the bus. Often still dripping and dragging their towel behind - someone has always left their goggles behind, or has someone else's thongs on to begin the trip to the bus! With all that avoided, the bus trip goes one of two ways! They are either more hyped than the trip there after their incredible swim or are zonked and falling asleep that results in tears as we wake those sleeping babes from their slumber.
Back at school...... this separates the birds and the pigeons. Who can dress themselves? And then dress themselves correctly? Shoes on the right feet, buttons done up straight, and clothes not inside out? There are always those pairs of undies that belong to no one yet sit in the middle of the carpet - quite obviously belonging to someone within the room. As well as the notorious bag of wet swimming clothes that often sit in the classroom for the next 5 weeks, again belonging to no one!
The day will often end with a few tears as those tired little bodies (up since 5.00am) start to fade, and that excitement turns into frustration with anything really. I can hear you all frantically signing up to either begin your teaching career or at the least beg desperately to Lucy to allow you to help this morning!
So, as you have finished drop off, and sat for your morning coffee, spare a thought for Miss Lucy. We definitely love our job, and wouldn't have it any other way! But swimming days are the ones that test us.'
15 September 2015
A Principal's Award - something to aspire to
Then a week or so later all the classes were doing an exercise about the capabilities they wanted to achieve by the end of Year 6. Little Chuneve in Year 2 'just wants to be able to get a Principal's Award.'
It's amazing how much weight that little gold sticker carries and the importance some children attach to it. They are a bit special. I give them out when effort and achievement goes hand in hand and children demonstrate the power of their learning. Obviously I'm not there every time this happens throughout our school - I'd go through packets of the things if that was the case! But I keep them in my drawer and kids know they really mean something. This is the point of an award - recognition and attention for learning and effort - and the knowledge that it's been earned and not just given out with no meaning attached.
Now that I look at these stickers - they are very pretty. I would have loved one as a kid!
28 August 2015
What really matters...
All Principals of Independent Public Schools were called into Central Office this week and while everyone was enjoying the Book Week Assembly I listened to a lot of things about School Reviews and inputs and outputs and NAPLAN and outcomes and a bit more about reviews... Hmmm.... Not the most riveting of material.
It got me thinking about what matters, and about what really matters. And it's kids that matter, and it's what they are learning that really matters.
Last week one of our teachers told me that while on duty he had observed Bradley in tears on the ball courts. He saw that Jenny and Suzy had just spoken to him so he asked them what had happened before he then spoke with Bradley himself. Jenny told him that Bradley had been left out of the boy's soccer game because they had even teams already and didn’t want uneven teams. (This seemed a bit mean but to be fair to the boys, Bradley was playing a different game before wanting to join their game). Before the teacher could even say anything in an attempt to resolve the situation – Suzy pipes up and says, 'Maybe I should offer to play too; that way there’d be even teams?' So, off the girls went, called Bradley over, joined the game and everyone was happy.
This is what really matters. We are teaching kids to solve problems peacefully, to walk in the shoes of others, to be inclusive. And every day we see they are getting it.
This kind of learning leaves inputs, outputs and reviews for dead!
(I've changed the names but I bet these lovely kids could identify themselves if they read this.)
It got me thinking about what matters, and about what really matters. And it's kids that matter, and it's what they are learning that really matters.
Last week one of our teachers told me that while on duty he had observed Bradley in tears on the ball courts. He saw that Jenny and Suzy had just spoken to him so he asked them what had happened before he then spoke with Bradley himself. Jenny told him that Bradley had been left out of the boy's soccer game because they had even teams already and didn’t want uneven teams. (This seemed a bit mean but to be fair to the boys, Bradley was playing a different game before wanting to join their game). Before the teacher could even say anything in an attempt to resolve the situation – Suzy pipes up and says, 'Maybe I should offer to play too; that way there’d be even teams?' So, off the girls went, called Bradley over, joined the game and everyone was happy.
This is what really matters. We are teaching kids to solve problems peacefully, to walk in the shoes of others, to be inclusive. And every day we see they are getting it.
This kind of learning leaves inputs, outputs and reviews for dead!
(I've changed the names but I bet these lovely kids could identify themselves if they read this.)
14 August 2015
Only in the Springs...
I called into the pharmacy on the way home this afternoon, and as I'm paying for my items Pete Ashenden, the community-minded pharmacist at LiveLife, said 'Oh, Gwen - I was just going to ring you - we've run a raffle on the school's behalf. I'm sorry we didn't tell you!'
'And you are apologising??!!' I was a bit baffled.
'Well,' he said, 'we probably should have told you - we'll send a cheque to the school - it's not much - about $350.'
I drove home with a smile on my face - I mean, where else do people open their hearts with such generosity and just send you $350 without batting an eyelid?
Thanks, Pete. Your thoughtfulness will be put to good use in our school and will benefit our kids and their families.
Happy weekend, everyone!
'And you are apologising??!!' I was a bit baffled.
'Well,' he said, 'we probably should have told you - we'll send a cheque to the school - it's not much - about $350.'
I drove home with a smile on my face - I mean, where else do people open their hearts with such generosity and just send you $350 without batting an eyelid?
Thanks, Pete. Your thoughtfulness will be put to good use in our school and will benefit our kids and their families.Happy weekend, everyone!
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