Week Seven Term Four

James

 Tess, Graham and his mom, Sylvia.

 I'm legal again.

 Meeting in Caulfield Park for 4F and 4G parents and students.

 Farewell Reception at VIT head offices.

The Christmas season is upon us.

Barry, Jim and John.

November 14-18^th.

I had a good day with the kids working on math puzzles and reading Shauzia (a girl growing up in Afghanistan) to them. Right after school I skipped the weekly professional learning (with permission) drove to a VicRoads site on the way home to get replacements for my stolen license plates. I showed them the police report and my driver's license, but since it was Canadian they wouldn't accept it or issue me new plates. They needed my passport, a bill showing my Australian address and a bank card. 

I left angry and frustrated and then drove to Flinder's Station in the heart of the CBD. I found a place to park in a lot, and had a meal before lining up to see James. There was a warm up act from Sydney who were forgettable and then we all had to wait for about an hour before James came out. I was a bit pissed at that, this being a Monday night. I was initially disappointed by the PA sound quality and the dark lighting. However, after a couple of songs the sound improved and when they played a couple of old songs, the crowd really got into it and were singing along. There is nothing like being in a standing room only hall with 900 strangers singing at the top of their lungs. Great songs, (including the new album which I bought), great lyrics and a captivating singer who dances like a snake charmer. It was an excellent show and the first time they had played in Australia! Amazing since they have been around for 34 years!

On Tuesday Rohan gave me permission to go to VicRoads again during team planning. This time armed with my passport and a bill from VicRoads for my vehicle registration from July. I had no problem and got new plates, but they had no screws, so I drove home again still without plates.

Last Friday, Claire and I spent two hours dividing our two grade four classes into two new grade five classes, ensuring that each kid had at least two friends from their wishlist in their new class and that kids who shouldn't be together are separated, only to find out at professional learning on Tuesday night, that there would be three 5/6 split classes instead. So we started trying to sort that out. This was a lot more difficult and we'll continue on Friday again.

On Wednesday night, I went to visit Tess and Graham at their home for the last time. Tess is flying with the boys to England and Sweden next week and will not return until after I leave. Unfortunately, the boys were in bed by the time I arrived and I missed the chance to say goodbye to them. But, on the positive side Graham's mom was there and had dinner with us. I met her earlier in the year, but then she had a stroke and was hospitalized for a bit and then recovering in their home. Her vision was affected the most, but she has recovered. So, it was good to see her looking happy and with it again. Dinner was good and I enjoyed catching up with them. Graham is staying in town for work until mid December so hopefully we will get together for a drink or something.

On Thursday we had an issue with junior grade kids leaving the school grounds before school or during recesses to buy lollies from the store. At lunch, Jim the caretaker, put my new plates on the car. So after almost a week of driving around I am legal again.

After school the parents of Claire's and my classes arranged a small get together in Caulfield Park next to the school. Claire couldn't make it because of her kids, but I dropped in. There were a few parents and lots of kids. Lucas's mom piggybacked his birthday party onto the event. I talked to a few parents who were interested in how I liked my Australian experience, when I was going home and how different education was between here and Canada. One parent told me that she was really interested in the Terry Fox story I read and that her and her son researched him on the internet and she was moved. Another parent told me that she was happy about the stories I read to the kids (the Parvana trilogy) because her son loved them and learned a lot about social injustice in the world. Really nice to hear those kind of comments because you don't always know what kids are taking in and what parents are thinking.

Friday, during our team time, Claire and I were trying to make three 4/5 classes from our two grade 4's for next year. The kids were given a 'proforma' sheet where they could select five people they wanted to be with. Our job was to make sure that each kid had at least one selection in his/her new class, as well as balance the classes by gender, ability and behaviour. That was hard enough, but then we had to enter those classes on a spreadsheet that also showed the friends they would be with and all the ones they selected, in case parents came to admin and complained that their child didn't get any friends in their class for next year. What a nightmare! Talk about time consuming, we spent two hours doing it and are not nearly finished.

Friday evening was the ITA Farewell Reception for all the Canadian teachers here this year and for the six Victorian teachers going on exchange this year. The event was held at the Victoria Institute of Education and Training. We gathered to say farewell and to pay homage to Lawrie Shears who was the Victorian founder of the exchange to bring foreign teachers to Australia. There were a number of speeches that were pretty tedious. Although he was important to the program he meant little to us, but there were a number of past exchange teachers who knew him well. After the reception we went to the Rendezvous Hotel in the Heritage Room where we made a buffet meal (that we payed for) which included salads, sushi, butter chicken and roast beef as well as fruit and an assortment of cakes for dessert. Again there were more speeches honouring Lawrie. Jim and Barry were there as well as most of the Canadians on exchange. It was a nice night and as well as my certificate of appreciation I won an Aussie baseball cap in a raffle.