Back to Grade 3!

I started my Grade 3 mat leave at Glenmore Elementary today. Quite overwhelming, but I am so excited to be back at this level, in this language, at this school... who am I kidding?! I'm just happy to have a job! It's a bonus that I get all that other great stuff to go along with it!

I was lucky to have Courtnay and her kids come during March Break to help me clean and get things organized. It's hard because although I am the only teacher, it's still not quite "my" space. I guess it's the same as when I taught Grade 7... and Kindergarten... Man, I was so spoiled in Ottawa with my own classroom and hired to a permanent position after my first interview!!!!

I am in one of the three "pods" at the back of the property. So different from a portable - there are four classrooms and a couple of offices in each pod, as well as cloakrooms and washrooms. I have a sink again! But there is only one photocopier, staff room and supply room for the three pods, none of which is located in mine! It's not far to get to those places and at least the weather is nice, so I'm not complaining! Here are a few shots of the class - before the kids arrive! Just writing the date...
Jeff helped me make the best of the space and Mom asked if we could paint! Ha!

There are 22 kids in the class and in addition to the notes the previous teacher left me, I can see that I will have a couple of handfuls! They are quite a chatty bunch, so I am really using my teacher voice and eyebrow (yes, I can be strict!). Kristy reassured me that I'll get them under control... by the last day of school! It's going to be hard to break them of the habits they have had for seven months, but I am sure going to try! Inside voices, people!

I am teaching all subjects except for Science and Socials. I trade with another teacher - a very French teacher - and teach English to her class four times a week for 45 minutes. It's a pretty sweet deal, but lots of names to learn right away! I have to trek across the field to get to the other class, so the kids are alone for about 4 minutes until the other teacher arrives. They are used to this system - it's me that has to learn it!

I do supervision for 15 minutes once or twice a week, depending on the rotation. I have joined the Spirit Committee and the Social Responsibility Committee. The staff has been "real nice" so far and I would enjoy sticking around next year! Fingers are still crossed!

Wish me luck with this new group!

Big White Experience!

So, because you can do things like this in BC... after the day with Bella, we went skiing at Big White that night! After a full season of skiing went by, we finally caught the last $5 Night Ski at Big White. (Lift and rentals both only 5 bucks on Fridays!) It takes about 45 minutes to get to the hill and another 20 minutes to get suited up with our rental gear. We left kinda late so that only gave us a couple hours of ski time. It had been a while since either of us had done any skiing. Jeff about 5 years and Ash approximately 12! Therefore, we went with the helmet option for Ash. She looked the part, but how did she do?

Fantastic! In no time at all she took to the runs with great form and confidence, smiling all the way. The mountains still echo with her screams of "I love this!!"!

We stopped a couple times to enjoy the sunset and for a few pix before darkness rolled in.

Proud of ourselves for making it back alive, we celebrated with a "Hot Toddy" (Dumas-style) and a few Decadent cookies. Looking forward to making it out a few more times next season. BC. Super. Natural.

Bella Afternoon

So "who is Bella?" you may be axing! Well she is the daughter of Ash's cousin Tami and her husband Mike. With Ash on two weeks of Spring Break and Tami running ragged at her new job, we decided to take Boston (her real name) off Tam's hands for a few hours.



We got our day started with Boost. Ash - Funky Monkey, Jeff - Berry Blast to help with puffy eyes and Bella got something Peachy.
We scooted up the 97 to Scandia, the land of fun and games! Go-carts, batting cages, video games and mini putt. What more could one eight-year-old ask for...?!
...oh, except tokens to play the games.
"Hey look, some more!"
Starting off slow is always a good idea. "Easy there, Mr. Ed".

Uncle Jeff shows off on the Rocket Launcher. There is not a clown face he couldn't hit from five paces. Who doesn't love to Whack-a-Mole?!!!!!
The King and Queen of Skeetball rack up a nice 240 points and collect a nice wad of prize tickets!

Now is the time to head to the depths of Scandia for the indoor Jungle Golf!

With her unique push/roll putting style, Bella is quick to sink one on the lighthouse hole. (No windmills in BC because there is no wind... it is paradise, you know.)

Bella takes time to reflect on what a golden opportunity it is to start her golf career at such a young age. What fortunes lay before you!

...and then she meets Happy in the mine!

Maybe the golf thing isn't where it's at so the gals take a spin on DDR (that's Dance Dance Revolution for all you out there... ok, well just for my mom. :) )

After much dancing the only thing that could appease the grumbling tum tum of Ms. Bella was of course the Happy Meal! "Peace out" to her new favourite Aunt and Uncle.

Word to her mutha! Thanks for lending her out T-Rae.

And the Oscar goes to...

So this year was a subdued night for us Oscar-watchers. Even though the show comes on early enough that it would be over before 12:00am for those working folk (a point among the "Pros" on the "Why move to Kelowna list"), we decided to keep it small. We had Ash's Mom, Sheri, and her friend, Susan over. Susan brought a nice big pot of chili and a grocery sack full of Cadbury's finest. We started out in the basement in front of the big screen, but as food was served, we gathered around the closest TV to the kitchen, that being the family room.

Pretty ok show for most of the night. Steve and Alec were hilarious. Lots to "ooh" and "ahh" at on the red carpet and not too many surprises for winners. Just maybe that Avatar didn't win Best Pic. We saw both The Hurt Locker and Avatar and honestly I can't figure out the reason for all the stink about HL. I found it just ok. Guess that's why I am not part of the Acadamy.

We made it to the Best Actress portion of the show when Sheri's phone rings. It was Grandma, saying that Grandpa had fallen. Well be bolted over there as fast as we could, saying a very quick "goodbye" to Susan.

Turns out Grandpa fell over onto Olive's TV tray, breaking it into a couple of pieces but fortunately he was still in one.

The chaos we thought we would see upon arriving was doused by Grandma asking if "we wanted a glass of wine" when we opened the door. Gramps seemed ok, but a bit shaky. We watched the rest of the Oscars at their place, only missing Sandy Bullock's acceptance speech. We got Daddio settled into bed and took our leave for the night.

Monday morning we find out that Stan got up in the night and fell again on his way to the bathroom. Turns out this time he lost his grip and fell back on the walker that Olive had left for him to use if he got up! This time the result was a badly bruised and cut left arm as well as some bruised ribs!!

Sure enough, the next day Jeff gets the call to install a handle bar in the ensuite bathroom so Stan doesn't need to travel as far to the bathroom. Daddio is resting comfortably and Sheri "Call me Ms. Nightengale" is seeing that he has clean bandages.

An Oscar night to remember! Or not.

On a positive note, we are looking forward to the next two weeks: SPRING BREAK! Yes, it's two weeks here! There's another point on the "Pros" list of "Why move to Kelowna"!

I GOT A JOB!!!! (Part 2)

So Thursday was my last day at Helen Gorman as a TOC for my friend, Kristy. I'm sitting in her office, writing up my final anecdotal notes, when I get paged for a phone call. I pick it up to hear Donna's voice. (She is the All-Star Manager of the TOC Department - an amazing woman.)

Donna tells me that she needs me to go to Glenmore on Friday for a TOC Shadow Day. I was confused. What does that mean, Donna? She tells me that I will be shadowing the gal whose mat leave I will be covering until the end of June!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't even pretend to hide my excitement! Or the tears!

All the ups and downs of this year have paid off! Not only am I taking over a Grade 3 French Immersion classroom at my old Elementary School, but I get a whole day to shadow the current teacher and then two weeks to plan and get organized! Is this heaven???

Stephanie, the teacher I will be covering, might also be a brother from another mother! Well, maybe a half-brother. She made me this lovely binder (no tabs), complete with everything I need to know; however, the classroom is a bit disorganized... messy... dirty. But hey! I've got two weeks to get it into shape and I know just the guy to help! :)

I met some of my new colleagues and they all seem "real nice" (..."that's because you have big jugs..."). I had the chance to see the 24 kids in action (two Abbys, but that's it for same names!) and an overview of the schedule. I will be teaching French and English Language Arts, Math and Visual Art to my class. Paule, from Quebec, will be teaching Science and Socials to my class, while I teach English to hers. Someone else teaches Music during my Prep (three half-hour blocks a week, one is first thing in the morning and the other two are right after lunch... ideal!). I have one period of my own Gym and one is shared with a 2/3 class. Supervision is on a rotating schedule, so it looks like I'll be doing 15 minutes (recess) once a week.

I am so excited about this assignment, although I am sad that I won't be back at Peter Greer for the rest of this year (even though it's further away, I would have had a split class and the contract would have been for a shorter period of time!). The postings for September come out in May and June, so we'll see what the universe has planned for us then!

I can finally uncross my fingers now, right? At least until those postings come out???

Signed,
Elated in Kelowna