a day later

and the peonies look like this !! They seriously are divine and I've just found out our climate is not cold enough to grow them this far north! Bah humbug.

And the funniest thing of the day - an e-mail from the school telling us the 15 year old is receiving a prize at the year 10 end of the year prize giving and inviting us to it. The school is so large, they have separate prize givings for each year level and you can only attend via an invite.
So the 15 year old HAS to go to school on the last day of the year now... we're laughing our heads off. He is annoyed he has to go to practices for it... No idea what it is either!

It's my birthday weekend - yippee!

SIGH

Battling to get the 15 year old out of the house every day now to attend his learning institution. Though I'm not really sure he learns much and still gets merit and excellence doing bugger all work. We have a week to go, with the usual "I'm not going to prizegiving/school on the last day of the year" (next Thursday). He wagged last year and actually got a social studies certificate (school is so big that only the major prizes are given at prizegiving and the subject runner ups get their certificates in form time).
But then I also look at it that my kids are hardly ever sick, they don't do sport and get to spend days/ weeks away from school doing sports stuff, so a day off here or there (and this one does get 2-3 days off a term just because really!) really does not matter. If they ever had me up, I'd just say the kid is BORED all round; has been for 2 years. And yeah extension classes won't work; he's already in the top stream and has lots of NCEA credits a year ahead, and he is lazy too. Pushing him to do stuff he does not want to do does not work either! SIGH.

Anyway, I am rather enjoying life. I swear yesterday was spend sorting paper work, getting stuff sent off to the NZ Education Council, Christmas cards and packages out, another knitting project started, a wee bit of stitching, writing in scrapbooks and a bit of online shopping (one of which has arrived less than 24 hours after ordering from half way down the country! Yay for TLeaf! Christmas Tea sorted!).

I was so lazy that I had my supermarket shop delivered to me - bit dismayed at the plastic bags, but I'm informed they are stopping in 5 weeks - yay. I have not used plastic for centuries!

 A gorgeous surprise box of peonies arrived yesterday - an early birthday gift (this weekend!) from my husband.

 I went to Why Knot - an outlet supermarket near my store and found lots of goodies from $0.30 to $2 for the birthday/treat box for school.

 We've been using Hello Fresh - I've actually cooked for 4 nights in a row people! That is HUGE - I've barely cooked all year! Will carry on, as everything we've had is well liked by everyone, which is no small miracle either! I actually think it is pretty good at $140 for 4 meals for 4-5 people (you truly do NOT want to know food prices in New Zealand - the UK and Australia are *CHEAP* to us kiwis! No Aldi here - only 2 supermarket conglomerates and not much choice! Most people I know spend $400 a week on food....)

And that's the mundane of my life - Christmas gift buying still needs to start, the spirit still needs to be found - actually i think all 5 of us could not even do Christmas year in, year out and we would not be bothered in any way......

I'm a TEACHER!

Well kind of! I just have to watch for two PASS words to appear on my transcript before I can get the masses of paper work off to the NZ Education Council.

Look at my transcript! I'm pretty bloody impressed with myself, especially after the year in which my dear Mum died and I still managed to pull it off! I found I work damn well under high stress.....

 After our final presentation, we walked up the road to the pub and had a glass of bubbles. This is me and my uni gang - these ladies have been my rock this year! They are all incredible. We've all got jobs bar one (who hasn't really started looking).

I've been having the time of my life pottering around home! It's awesome! We have all been on a high, but a couple of days after felt a bit deflated - I guess we've all been on adrenaline all year!! WHEW!

Today I'm going into my school to look at the library and help spend some money on books - so excited !!!!!

This has been such an incredibly HARD year, but I'm out the other side! YIPPEE. Need to treat myself somehow I think!

whew

My gosh. I can't believe how fast the days are going!

I've been spending hours testing 28 students for their maths - it is fascinating! 

 An awesome friend sent me a surprise package in the post yesterday! A new to me New Zealand dyer - it is gorgeous organic merino. You can find Tseba on instagram.

 Some exciting new purchases arrived - autographed too!

 I'm spending flipping hours doing my e-portfolio of the past year to satisfy the New Zealand Education Council. This is all for a 12 minute presentation in front of university faculty next week. Yikes!

 I *adore* the UK band James. I saw them in concert last week. I turned around and Tim Booth was right there! He is very cool in  my books! His house is right near the fires in CA - last time he was down under Trump was voted in, he reckons the next November he visits NZ, an apocolypse might happen  while he is away!

 Feedback from a university lecturer last week - she watched me teach.. Am totally loving this job and my current class. It's my last day tomorrow - sob, sob. BUT I am looking forward to 2 months off from next Thursday! Much to do before then - namely e-portfolio!

Hope everyone is having a lovely week! Gosh summer has come early - I've been in dresses for weeks now!

November 5

The teacher asked me today why I didn't mention Guy Fawkes to the students and ask what they did in the weekend. It didn't even occur to me, as it isn't something we really do. I find it hard to fathom spending money on fireworks and the fact that we even "celebrate" someone who tried to blow up a building. Nothing to celebrate there. The students learnt all about it last week, tied in with religion and other stuff! I'd be rather happy with fireworks were banned here! I struggle with why we still even do Guy Fawkes in NZ. It's a relic left over from colonisation!
BUT what we did do and I really hope every single NZ student in every single NZ school had the word "Parihaka" thrown at them today, was spent over an hour on Parihaka - a significant event in NZ history which took place on November 5, 1881. This led onto amazing discussions around terrorism, colonisation, the NZ Land Wars, pacifism, conscription etc. The students were fascinated. This picture book we read is a good entry level book for discussion around Parihaka.

 I had awesome feedback from year 5 students today "you understand people" and "people need you". Awh shucks. They are horrified my last week is next week! One of them is a Bahai and I impressed her from day one just from the fact I had heard of them and could tell her a whole lot about her religion (part of my degree was religious studies). The students are all fabulous.

I went to a scout group garage sale on Saturday and picked up lots of amazing bargains for home and especially my future classroom. I've got quite the pile for the classroom already.... In about 5 weeks time, I'll be able to see inside my classroom for the first time!

 The mobile library bus visited the school last week. It was very exciting and the selection was fabulous. I was so happy for this and every student has a library card. But on the other hand, it makes me sad that schools possibly will no longer buy books to boost their own libraries, if mobile libraries visit... hmmmm....

 We had this happen a week ago - first place in year 12 history is a pretty big deal. Oh - except to the kid! He does not really care... and would have loved to have stayed home and wag prize giving. Hates being the centre of attention and says he is just doing his school work.... Major school exams for all year 11/12/13 students start this week. We are the ONLY country in the world that does major external exams for 3 years in a row. I think the year 11 ones should just be canned... pointless really!

Have a fabulous week. Linda and Lyn - finally posted your books!