Term 3 Reflection

Book Week: "Where's Wally" group photo

Term 3 is over! I can't believe I'm almost done my trip of a lifetime to Australia. This term has felt the most like I really live here, and this is where I belong. I have great friends — people I talk to everyday that I can't imagine not talking to in a few months. I also feel much more relaxed at work and have a lot of fun with my day; even during meetings! The Year 1 kids have become "my kids," and I feel we have made amazing progress since the first few days when I didn't know that recess was a snack. I have parents that come up and give me vacation advice help me out in the classroom, and everybody asks me whether I am going to stay...

On top of all that is happening to me, my exchange partner, Cathy Kepa and her husband Eddie have had to abruptly end their exchange at Sarah Thompson School. Due to illness in the family they have made the difficult decision to come back to Adelaide. Luckily I have some amazing friends back home and some family members that will be house sitting starting in October.

Jenny and I had the pleasure of meeting Cathy and Eddie in their own house, which we both thought was awkward. They are wonderful people though and we talked about our experiences for several hours over dinner. I'm looking forward to seeing them again for Canadian Thanksgiving!

Teaching the Australian curriculum has been challenging, but fun as it similar to the Albertan curriculum with some specific Australia related content. In Maths (yes with an 's') we have to be able to recognize Australian coins. The kids love the money bags game I taught them.

Money bags 

 I teach the IB program at Stradbroke so we have two Inquiries we do each term. This term we focused on "How we express ourselves through the arts." We did a variety of self-portraits using mirrors, lead pencil, paints and items from the natural environment.

 We went to the Art Gallery of South Australia as our first excursion (field trip) of the year. We only went for half the day, but it was a lot of fun for the kids experimenting with portrait making. Arts and culture is so much more of an experience in Adelaide and it can be a family outing. Jenny and I took our kids to the Art gallery that weekend. They really have a great children's program. Adelaide always has something for the kids!

 

 

This term we switched specialist teachers (yes we have specialist teachers). In the first term, Year 1s were taught by specialist Science teacher, Music, PE and Italian teachers. As a result I often get a lot of NIT time (prep time in Canada). This term, the I'm teaching Science and their is a specialist teacher that teaches Health.

Learning about 'Light and Sound' in Science!

We made treasure maps for our Bee-Bots in STEM

During Week 5 of every year in Australia everyone dresses up for 'Book Week.' This is to celebrate reading, and seems to be nation-wide. It felt more like Halloween to me as we had a costume parade in the gym with music. All of the characters were supposed to be from a book. Many of us teachers wanted to do something fun so we decided to all dress up as "Where's Wally (Waldo)" Afterwards we ran around the school and hid around the school just like kids.

Teachers dressed up as Wally hiding in the principal's office

This term had so many incursions! (in school field trips) We had Music is Fun which is similar to when we have music groups visit Sarah Thompson. There were a number of sports clinics as well. We had cricket, tennis and soccer. Instead of a Terry Fox run, we had a colour fun run (similar to Colour Me Rad in Calgary).

I also managed to take the kids to the wonderful natural area just next to the school for some outdoor classroom learning.

 During lunch I run a fairly successful coding/maths club in the Forest building computer room.

At the end of term, we had an open night for parents to come see our learning. I think my kids did amazing work. I also am really enjoying the ability to hang work from the ceiling. (Something I am not allowed to do back home). It really makes a great display.

We're off to Melbourne, the Grampians and the Great Ocean road for our last school holiday in Australia. I can't wait to go, but at the same time I am wanting time to slow down a bit.