Connection Woes

We have had more connection woes since we had a power shortage at home that lasted for all of about 5 minutes. A power shortage means that we then lose our connection to the internet for anything from 3 days to .... So far, it's been ten days! So I am completing this blog at work in between parent/teacher interviews. Ha! A very efficient use of time!

(The plane - a tiny one!)

We had such a delightful term break of two weeks. In the few days before Easter we flew to Canberra and stayed at our favourite hotel - the Canberra Hyatt. This is the most delightfully restful and lovely hotel, with gorgeous shaded verandahs, tennis courts, a swimming pool, buffet breakfast, lounge for coffee and pre-dinner drinks. We also love Canberra for its wonderful galleries, museums and fascinating parliament house. This time, Zoe was able to take a friend, so she invited the charming Bella to come with us. The two of them had a great time together.

(Fish and chips for lunch by Lake Burley Griffin)

(Outside Questacon with Einstein)

(Outside Questacon, demonstrating a little flexibility!)

We visited Parliament House, played tennis, visited the galleries, the library and Questacon, and had great fun bike-riding around the lake. The weather was perfect autumn days - sunny and warm. Bliss!

(Our wonderful four-wheelers)

(On the way to the pool)

(At Parliament House)

For Easter, we visited Rob, Mandy, Bailey and Wil at the beach house, and Amanda, Fraser and Sophie at their new house. We took my cousin's daughters, Kate and Emma, to see 17 Again, and Zoe had a birthday celebration with her friends to see The Pink Panther 2.

(Kate)

We all read: I finished "The White Tiger" and "Asking for the Moon". Greg read "The Passion" again and has begun "Ransom" by Malouf. Zoe finished another Muchamore book, Alison Lester's "The Quicksand Pony" and is almost finished Paulsen's "Hatchet". We also finished "Little Women" and "Good Wives".

In the second week of the holidays, Mum, Zoe and I travelled to Warburton to the Patchwork Teahouse, where we met Aunty Lorrie for lunch. We then spent rather a lot of money on fabrics and patterns but have enjoyed working on the projects. Zoe and I are particularly proud of "Hippy Jo"!

Zoe and I have been trying to do a bit of running, training for the 4 km Mothers' Day Classic. We have done a couple of training runs on the Tan and Zoe is now doing a great non-stop 4 km.

Apart from the internet problems, it's all been delightful!

March Downpour

At last - some rain! Yesterday, we had the most wonderful day of downpours and showers. The only problem was that it was also the festival for our suburb, including the big parade in which all the local primary schools and clubs participate. The parade was due to start at 11:30 am and the rain began to fall at 10:45! As a House Captain, Zoe was one of the leaders in the parade, dressed as a scarecrow. The parade went ahead but all the children wore raincoats instead of the fantastic costumes that they had pur so much effort into. The wonderful art teacher, Bit, had been working for weeks on the design and completion of the school's presentation and it was hardly seen! Still, we all kept telling one another, we need the rain!



My Year 8 students celebrated World Maths Day by having a party with Maths-inspired food.

My state, Victoria, celebrated Labour Day last Monday so, like most of Melbourne, we went to the beach for the long weekend. Zoe's friend, Mia, came with us and the girls visited the Amazing Maze in Arthur's Seat. Lots of fun! We also caught up with friends, Liz, Baz, Bella and Charlie at the Sorrento Sailing Club.

I haven't written about any of my creative efforts lately, so thought I had better catch up now. Before going overseas, I finished the pink Rowan Kidsilk Haze jumper for Zoe and a lovely Jo Sharp garter stitch jacket for me. Both were great on our trip, although Zoe's pink jumper got more use than my jacket. It was also perfect for travelling as it was light but very warm, and went under lots of layers. I could have got by without mine but it was nice to have something different to put on occasionally.

Now I am knitting some convertible fingerless gloves for Zoe. The colour isn't very good in this picture - the wool is more green than this shows. If they work ok, then Zoe has asked me to make pairs for all of her friends as birthday presents. Luckily, they won't take long!

I made some delicious nectarine jam from my Uncle Allan's fruit. Zoe and I have been helping with the markets on most Saturdays - it's very enjoyable to be talking with customers and catch up with Allan and Judy. Mum has also been busy, now that she doesn't have so much Red Cross Fire Relief work to do - she's made fig jam, strawberry jam and plum sauce!

How did this happen? I can't seem to rotate this picture or get rid of it! Hmm.

We have been very busy reading - my friend, Leonie, lent me a wonderful book, "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. A very inspiring account of Greg Mortenson's efforts to build schools in villages in Pakistan, with a focus on educating girls. It's wonderful and I strongly recommend it. Now, I'm wondering what I can do to help.

Tonight, I will finish reading "Little Women" to Zoe, and it has been lots of fun. Since this is the year of classic books, this one has been a great addition to our series. Greg and I are also making some selections for Zoe to read, to help her prepare for Year 7 next year. The first novel was "Goodnight Mr Tom" which she had begun to read while at Chelmsford. She's finished it and now can read something of her own choice: "Divine Madness" by Robert Muchamore.

Caught up with another couple of friends last night, including Christina. We are both missing book group so we think we'll start another one. Firstly, we will have to recruit some other members!

Hot February

Home again and it has been an overwhelming summer. With everything so dry from our endless drought, we all knew the bushfire risk to be extremely high. No-one expected the consequences to be so devastating. To have lost so many lives, and for so much property to be destroyed and so many animals to be affected was unthinkable, and yet it has happened. We have heard stories of courage and amazing escapes, and stories of tragedy and ill-fortune. One thing that has been positively amazing has been the swift response of the government, aid agencies and people everywhere in giving support - time and money. My mother has been working almost everyday to provide food for the emergency service workers, and to coordinate a team of volunteers to ensure a constant flow of support. She has been remarkable in her energy and in her organisational skills. I am very proud of her. This week, at last, she is able to scale back the efforts of her team, and hopefully, to get a bit of rest for herself. I have been impressed by her friends, also, who have given her encouragement and support too. And Dad has been doing whatever he can to help her.

Some remarkable stories: friends of a colleague of mine had a lush vegetable patch in their garden, kept in top condition using their gray water. When the fires came and they realised they could no longer defend their home, they ran to the vegie patch with wet towels. They survived the fire by lying face down in the mud of the furrows, with the wet towels over their backs and the green, leafy plants above them. Another colleague's friend ran to the creek with a wet blanket and hid underneath it as the fire passed over him. Once the danger was past, he lifted the blanket to discover two lyrebirds sheltering underneath as well! Then there is the amazing story of the man who was wandering with his beloved horse and the fire raced closer. It was pitch black and he was speaking to the horse believing he was in the last moments of his life. The horse pushed him, making him fall over, and then pushed him again, making him roll down an embankment. He found himself in a creek, as the fire raced over him. As soon as he could, he climbed back up the embankment to find his horse - but he saw the horse galloping back to him, singed, through the flames, looking as if it was the horse who had come to find the man. And there are stories of the woman in the wombat hole and the men in the drain under the road. All miraculous escapes.

In the city, we have not been directly affected, although we all seem to know someone who has been. I think it is this powerlessness that has made so many people so generous in their support. The fire season is not over and more fires threaten this week as we anticipate more temperatures in the high 30's for most of the week. It will be so nice when February is over and the more mild March arrives!

We spent the weekend at the beach house last week. It was lovely to be there again and to feel that we could enjoy the summer we had missed. Of course, it did seem strange to be enjoying the sunshine when only the week before there had been so much destruction, but it was lovely to be swimming and walking along the beach.

We are all working hard again at school. Greg is very busy with his work and preparation. He has had to re-read several novels prior to teaching them, and has piles of marking to do. He also has the tennis team to look after, which is demanding of his time but I think he quite enjoys working with the boys in a different environment. My classes are unbelievably delightful! I have four, the largest of which is 17 students. They are my Yr 10 class and have the potential to be very difficult. In fact, it seems I have the loveliest of the three classes, and the girls are almost all very keen to work and to do well. I also have a tiny Year 11 Methods class - this class is silent unless I am giving them instructions. I find it a bit disconcerting actually to have them work in such complete silence, but if they are getting their work done, then it's wonderful. A Year 9 class and a Year 8 class round out my teaching load. I also have the Assistant Level Coordinators role, the RSC and the Leadership Coordinator position to keep me busy. It is shaping up to be a terrific year. I am hoping to initiate more activities for the girls to be involved in.

Zoe is loving Year 6. She is House Captain for the red house, and continues to learn flute at school. She is currently working very conscientiously on a project on Leadership (she is researching Rosa Parks) and is really making an effort to improve her organisational skills in preparation for High School next year. Greg and I are setting her some books to read, interspersed with books of her own choice. While she was at Chelmsford, she read the end of "Goodnight Mr Tom" by Michelle Magorian, and loved it. As this was one of the books we had chosen to set for her, she is reading the whole book now. It's a very moving book set in England during WWII. Zoe continues with ballet and piano - she is a busy girl.

While we were away, I read "The Railway Children" by E Nesbit to her. If you haven't read this, you must! It is so amusing and the scene where Bobby meets her father at the railway station is one of the most tear-jerking scenes in literature I have ever read. I was sobbing as I tried to read this out loud! How about this for a funny exchange:

"I suppose I shall have to be married someday," said Peter, "but it will be an awful bother having her round all the time. I'd like to marry a lady who had trances, and only woke up once or twice a year."

"Just to say you were the light of her life and then go to sleep again. Yes. That wouldn't be bad," said Bobby.

"When I get married," said Phyllis, "I shall want him to want me to be awake all the time, so I can hear him say how nice I am."

Zoe and I were nearly crying with laughter over that part!

Since this year, she and I decided I would read classics to her, we are now onto "Little Women". I'm not sure what we'll read after that - perhaps "Black Beauty".

I read the hugely amusing and stylish "The Moonstone" by Wilkie Collins. Since Zoe and I adore the Collector's Library editions, all of these books were in this edition. They were great for travelling. The wonderful Gabriel Betteredge made a wonderful narrator for his part, the horrific Drusilla Clack irritated as she was supposed to, and the poignant story of Dr Jennings was suitably moving. As the ending approached, I thought I was going to be saddened by the ignorance of the era in which the book is set, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the considerate handling of what became of the Moonstone. Wilkie Collins is a delightful writer.

Since arriving home, I have read "Cranford" by Elizabeth Gaskell and am now reading a Georgette Heyer. Before the end of last year, I read the beautiful "Love Without Hope" by Rodney Hall, the irritating "Twilight" by Stephanie Meyer, and the haunting "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. I'm planning on reading "The White Tiger" next, but there are so many others I still have on my list. And I really miss my bookgroup. I'll have to start another. Anyone want to join?

Last Day

(Audience participation in Year 8 Opera.)

This is our last day at Chelmsford. What a wonderful exchange it has been!

I gave my second presentation at assembly this morning and, although it was a little rushed, I was quite happy with how it went. The girls were full of compliments. They are all wanting to come to my school on exchange now. I'll have to see what can be arranged when I get home.

(Year 8 Opera Performance)

It seems that the time has passed very quickly and Zoe and I have experienced so much. We really have felt very welcomed and quite comfortable. The people we have met and worked with have been very supportive and encouraging.

Today I had the pleasure of talking with the Year 10 and Year 11 prefects. It was interesting to hear of the variety of activities they organise, and the enthusiasm they have for their positions. They include everything from History Prefect, to Library Prefect, Dance Prefect and Maths Prefect. They organise displays, competitions, performances and study groups. Very impressive!

Zoe's friends have told me that they are very sad to see her go, and I know that she feels that she has made some lifelong friendships. I also will be sad to say goodbye to Peter, Rosemary and the wonderful Tara. I hope that we will all keep in touch and that our paths will cross again.

(Zoe's class)

This afternoon, we travel with Peter back to London then we will catch a taxi to Heathrow in the morning. The long flight home lies ahead of us. Hopefully, the heatwave will have ended by the time we arrive. The shock to the system would be enormous otherwise!

Looking foreward to seeing Greg and my Mum and Dad and friends.

Opportunities

Zoe and I continue to enjoy our visit to Chelmsford Girls' School. It is a dynamic place to be, and the girls are enthusiastic and responsive.

Zoe had a wonderful time with her host family, Anoushka, Rainy and Rajiv. They went ice-skating on Thursday afternoon, and had more of their classmates over for a party on Friday evening. She was made to feel so welcome and looked after with such kindness and consideration. Anoushka lives in a lovely house in Shenfield, about 30 minutes from Chelmsford. The girls had to catch the train to and from school, so that was an adventure for Zoe in itself.

I have been able to observe more classes, and also to interview some of the girls about special programs that they are involved with. One memorable interview was with four of the outgoing senior prefects. They told ma great deal about the sort so fco-curricular programs that are initiated and run by the students. They even have homework clubs!

I had to give the first of my two presentations in assembly today. I had been very nervous in the lead up to beginning, but once i got started I was able to relax and feel comfortable. The girls responded very well, and many of the teachers and students have complimented me on how it went. Although I went over time, I have been told not to cut it for the next assembly as the "powers that be" thought that it was worthwhile in its entirety! I'll try to trim it a bit, nevertheless. Zoe was there, and she seemed to think it was "pretty good", so that's praise I can accept!

This afternoon, I visited a local primary school with a small group of Yr 9 girls on Music Outreach. The girls did a great job, playing musical games with the Grade 2 and 3 students. The Outreach program is a really interesting and valuable one.

Zoe and I are now staying with Rosemary, her husband Robert and son George. They live about 30 minutes north east of Chelmsford in Maldon, which is on the estuary. We went for a lovely walk along this waterway last night, and through the town. We stopped at a pub for a drink before heading home. We had an interesting and relaxing time.

Now I will have to turn my mind to the report I will need to give when I get back to my school. And to teaching on Monday!

Zoe and I miss Greg very much. It is great that we have the convenience of email to keep in touch.

Chelmsford County High School for Girls

(Yr 8 students)

It's the end of our fourth day at CHSG and it's about time I wrote something on this blog.
Zoe and I have been having a happy and busy time, and have felt very welcomed by all the people we meet.

(The Samba Band rehearsal)

Zoe has been hosted by a couple of girls from her Yr 7 class: Georgia and Anna. They have been terrific - showing her around and helping her with the class work. They have become very good friends. Today, Zoe changed timetables so she could spend more time with Anoushka, the girl who is having her over to stay for the next two nights. The two of them had a lovely time today getting to know each other better, and left school this afternoon feeling very excited about the evening ahead.

(Yr 7 English class)

I have been kept very busy by Peter and Tara's action-packed program. It's been non-stop class observations and meetings with important people. It's wonderful to be able to see other teachers at work; an opportunity we rarely get. I have seen Latin, French, Religion, English, PE, Drama, Art and lots of Maths classes. All have been dynamic and engaging. The girls are getting a great education at this school. Since it is a select entry school, all the girls are keen learners, and they come well prepared for all lessons and eager to be involved. It is unfortunate that the UK has such an extensive and intensive assessment program, as this seems to keep too much pressure on both students and staff. All feel they have to constantly jump through hoops. We are lucky in Australia not to have to work under this much pressure but to have time for a bit of exploration, and the flexibility to pursue interests specific to the class, rather than those dictated by the system.

I have had the opportunity to talk with the teachers responsible for Leadership, Student Voice, Languages Outreach and Citizenship. I have got lots of new ideas to take back to my school.

(Yr 7 Art class)

The girls have been very helpful in finding my way around. They are keen to ask questions about Australia. I showed them some pictures of the girls from my school and they thought our school shoes were hilarious!

Five more school days to go and then Zoe and I will be ready to go home. We miss Greg, and my Mum and Dad. Two weeks of exchange is about the right length of time - any more would seem just too long!

Homer and Lovely Lavenham

After leaving Manorhouse Farm, we headed to Oxford. This was our first day of rain (and there hasn't been anymore yet) so we were a little restricted in our explorations.

In spite of the rain, we climed the tower of The University Church of St Mary the Virgin. This was great fun in the rain and the wind, and we were rewarded with magnificent views over Oxford (as you can see from the picture above). The climb was very long and steep!

We made a thorough tour of Christ Church College, seeing the dining hall, the stairs where "Harry P0tter" is filmed and making a visit to the beautiful Cathedral. There was a terrific activity for children, finding faces around the Cathedral, and learning about the saints and people commemorated there. A really interesting one was Saint Frideswide, a princess who had hidden in the forests of Oxford to escape a nasty suitor in around 1000 AD. Zoe and I had a great time on this detective activity.

(The tomb of St Frideswide, in Christ Church College Cathedral, Oxford.)

We also visited a surprisingly interesting exhibition on choral music that had a beautiful choir book from Eton dated around 1500 - we are constantly impressed by the age of so many things here!

(The birthplace of Shakespeare, in Stratford-on-Avon.)

We visited Stratford-on-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare, which was rather touristy but interesting.

We stayed in the most delightful B&B of our stay for two nights. This was Windy Ridge Farm, and was a very impressive estate with house-keeper and gentleman farmer. The home was filled with lovely things and we were offered drinks in the evening. The owner, Nick, obviously loves opening his home to visitors and told us many funny stories about his life and the area. One was about his father's old dog, Homer, who when it died, was mistakenly buried in the 2500 pound Persian rug!

(Homer's descendant is the biggest dog we have ever seen: Winston is as big as a lioness!)



(Breakfast at Windy Ridge.)

Much to Greg and Zoe's embarassment, I went for a run in the village and the county lanes while we were there - my outfit was not my standard running gear!

We then headed to Cambridge, which we loved. It is such a pretty town, and we loved crossing the Rinver Cam to get into the centre. We visited the impressive Fitzwilliam Gallery and Zoe was fascinated by the Egyptian mummy. We pursued her interest in archeology and anthropology by visiting a couple of excellent museums.

(Newspapers!)


(The entrance to the Fitzwilliam Gallery.)

(These helmets were in the Fitzwilliam Museum and date from the time of the Trojan Wars!)

(The mummy, with body encased.)


(Zoe undertaking some archeological training.)

Our B&B outside of Cambridge wasn't so comfortable so we spent only one night there and headed to Lavenham.What a delightful village this is! We stayed at the excellent pub, The Angel, and wandered the streets and lanes, admiring the very old, very crooked houses, and the magnificent church.

Our touring has now come to an end, as we have arrived in Chelmsford, where we will farewell Greg and Zoe and I will begin our exchange at the school. We have a very comfortable serviced apartment for our stay and have had fun visiting the local supermarket to stock up on supplies.

It will be interesting to see how we get on!