Back to School

It's back to school for the three of us this past week. Greg and I started on Tuesday with staff days, and Zoe began school (Grade 5!) on Thursday. Greg's students started on that day, too but mine didn't begin until Friday.

After three days of preparation, it was lovely to have the girls return with their lovely, excited, pleased-to-see-you smiles. I was a bit anxious about my Yr 12 class but the Year 11 girls (from last year's Accelerated Maths class) all came in with big smiles and ready to begin, so I feel rather more relaxed about it now. I have three boys from the neighbouring boys' school in that class, too, but they did not attend on Friday so I have yet to meet them. Also, three Yr 12 girls complete the class.

Also, very nervous about telling the girls about my new "accessories", the hearing aids. I'm calling them the Tiffany earrings. They certainly cost more than Tiffany earrings! In some respects they are wonderful and really help me to hear more, but I am still struggling with background noise and speech. I have to practise some more in the classroom.

No time to complete any projects, but I did finish Linda Olsson's delightful "Let me sing you gentle songs", also titled "Veronika and Astrid". This is a lovely, lovely book about the friendship that develops between two women each initially living in solitude in a Swedish village. It is a most unlikely friendship that becomes hugely significant to them both. Beautiful, poignant, profound. It makes you realise the importance of honesty with oneself and the value of gentle, honest friendship.