Moving the blog somewhere more suitable... - Wednesday, February 20, 2008
I've fallen in with a ragtag group of Australian blog writers who've directed me to an Australian run blog provider focusing on education blogs. So... I gave it a sticky beak and found it a lot more suitable for a School Spirit blog, so I've spent the last day or so moving stuff across. Better now than later when there's so much more, eh?
So... if you're still interested in reading this particular blog, it's not moved to edublogs.org, or, more specifically, the School Spirit blog is now located at the end of this link.
One thing the new site is missing though are comments. I couldn't find a way to transfer the comments from here across, but I can live with that. Some of you might comment there instead.
But please, don't post saying 'ooh, like the new site' etc... cos that just wouldn't fit in with the posts, cos none of them actually mention the move.
Keeping it low key, eh?
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Anaphylaxis and the Epi-pen - Tuesday, February 19, 2008
 I've got a kid in the grade this year who brings an epi-pen to school with him in case of an anaphylactic shock. In fact, there are four kids in the school with such causes for concern. Each has their own epi-pen close by when they are here, and each has their own specific influence that sets off their reaction. For many it's peanuts or nut products, bee stings, certain medications, eggs and regular cow's milk. Any exposure to their allergen sets off the allergic reaction and that's when things get serious.
Fortunately, we had the chance today to be trained once more (for many of us) in the understanding of anaphylaxis (this severe reaction to the above triggers), and the administration of the epi-pen (the small, single-dose medication device that delivers a shot of adrenalin into the child's bloodstream to counter the reaction). I remember going through the training about three years ago, so I found much of it just a refresher course.
Meaning that much of what I knew but had forgotten I knew was brought back to the front of my mind again. I was pretty certain I knew how to administer the epi-pen and the process with which to handle any such anaphylactic emergency, but at the same time, I'd only done it in a training situation with practice epi-pens, eh? Those little ones you can practice on yourself which have no dosage inside them and, importantly, no little sharp needle to accidentally stab yourself with. It would be a whole new kettle of fish to actually be in the situation where you need to use it in a real situation.
Fortunately we have yet to have such an incident, and while I'm sure we'd handle it properly, you never really know until you're facing it, eh? Even after today's session, I know I'd rather not have to face such an emergency myself while wandering outside on yard duty.
All fears and concerns aside though, I think it's probably the most important professional development session I'll sit through for the entire year. Hopefully I won't need to put it into practice, but, in case I do, it's nice to have that little bit of confidence that you might just help the kid through something potentially fatal and have him home safe and sound that night because you spent two hours after school one evening all those months ago.
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How Do You Know You Are A Teacher? - Monday, February 18, 2008
 This appeared on the back of our weekly staff bulletin in my pigeon hole this morning. I have no idea which staff member passed it on for inclusion on the back, but it gave me a little bit of a giggle. If you're a teacher, you'll recognise yourself here. If you're not, you could probably still understand most of the sentiments behind these nine sure fire ways to know that you are a teacher...
1. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.
2. You get a secret thrill out of laminating something.
3. You walk into a shop and hear the words 'It's Ms/Mr ______' and know you've been spotted.
4. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mum/Dad at one time or another.
5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty-five minutes.
6. You've trained yourself to go to the toilet at two distinct times of the day: recess and lunch.
7. You start saving other people's rubbish because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.
8. You believe the teachers' staffroom should be equipped with a margarita machine.
9. You want to slap the next person who says it 'must be nice to work 9 to 3:30 and have summers off'.
All so very true...
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School Spirit Update - Fire! - Sunday, February 17, 2008
The next storyline, 'Fire!', begins today, following on from the 25th anniversary of Ash Wednesday. This story will carry through the next few weeks up to the week of Easter, a duration of approximately 12 strips, or four weeks.
You can either follow the School Spirit banner link to the right, or go straight to this particular strip.
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Stop Work, Valentine's Day, 2008 - Thursday, February 14, 2008
Well, the stop work went ahead today and only three of the sixteen grades were operating at school today. Ours was one of them, and of the twenty four kids who were technically supposed to be there, nineteen arrived at the start of the day. Last year I had twenty four of twenty five on the stop work day, and that missing kid gave me a note the next day explaining how he had the gastro, but nineteen was a decent turn out. Especially as several had younger brothers and sisters at home for the day as well.
Which I thought was encouraging, as the parents seem to be backing the stop work action by keeping their children home on the day, yet also agreeing that the education offered to their other children is still important even on an interrupted day such as today. We followed our set program for the day and the kids still worked as they would have, so it wasn't just a baby-sitting event.
Of the three grades operating, ours was the largest, but the other two still had eighteen and twelve kids working all the same, but it certainly made yard duty a breeze. Just about all of them were swinging on the monkey bars through recess, and a half dozen were hitting a ball around with a plastic cricket bat on the oval. It was nice to be out there with them.
Funny how with a such a smaller, most intimate yard duty you can spend time talking to the kids more than you usually would and get to know them much better in such a small amount of time. When lunchtime rolled around, I just wandered out for the sake of it and joined in the cricket game out the back.
Unfortunately I haven't been home long enough to hear much of the news on the telly or radio, so I don't know how well the Melbourne rally was attended or whether any immediate gains seem to have been made, but tomorrow's paper will tell some sort of story. My prediction is that the Union will claim a huge number turned up, the government will claim half that number, and the true number will be somewhere in the magic middle.
Whether it makes much difference in the long run is still to be seen, so I'm expecting a few more of these throughout the year. Undecided at the moment though whether I'd take part later on. Depends on whether the Union still claims money as the number one reason.
If that's the case I'll probably stick around and teach for the day instead.
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School Spirit Update - Ash Wednesday - Thursday, February 14, 2008
Today, Thursday February 14th, the School Spirit webcomic, the main site of which this blog is pretty well just a minor offshoot, commemorated the 25th anniversary of Ash Wednesday this Saturday (16th February, 2008) with a larger update. It's only a large, one panel, sepia toned image, but I didn't think it right to let the 25th anniversary slip by without something.
And besides... it fits in nicely between the most recent storyline and the one coming next update, which you'd notice if you read through the last few week's worth of work.
I would have liked to have done something a little more... suitable... for the occasion, but unfortunately time and a severe lack of decent and actual Ash Wednesday images on the internet meant this is what I could manage.
I like to think it's an anniversary that will pass quietly, and that this update is low-key enough to help that.
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Junior School Council Elections - Tuesday, February 12, 2008
 It happens about now every year. We have to elect two representatives from our grade to join the Junior School Council, one boy and one girl. This afternoon we held our elections. There were cheers, smiles, disappointment and a few held back tears. Always an emotional and excitable time.
The role of the Junior School Council representatives is to take part in fundraising for the school, deciding how certain funds should be spent (generally in regards to play equipment and yard furniture or gardens, etc), community work around the school neighbourhood, and other varied roles and events during the year. Weekly meetings, the odd lunchtime given up to carry out tasks and responsibilities, presenting information to the grade and in front of whole school assemblies... there's a lot to be done by these kids. It's a highly responsible job to get, and a lot of the kids would love to be on it. Unfortunately, there's always only room for a few, and much more room on the other side for the kids that miss out.
We opened the floor Monday morning for the kids to nominate themselves if they were interested in standing for election and about fifteen kids raised their hands. A decent discussion later and they'd highlighted the qualities they all thought a person fortunate enough to be given the privilege of representing our grade required. I told them then that they would have that day and today to watch the kids who had nominated themselves to see which of them displayed those qualities in the room to help them form their final decision for this afternoon's election.
That also gave the nominees Monday night to prepare a short speech to present to the grade as a last chance to sway their votes.
By the time we sat down on the floor after lunch today to decide our representatives, about six of the kids had elected to stand down, so the numbers were thinning. Of those still in the running, most had prepared a speech the night before, and I have to admit they were all great little speeches. I'm sure there was a decent amount of parent help hidden amongst the lines, but the kids delivered them effectively. Then came the vote.
 Two kids won the two positions, which meant about seven or eight missed out. Always the hardest part of the procedure as you know they all want the job. At least at grade three and four you can convince them that they have another two or three years to try again, or try for the School or House captain and vice captain positions when they get to grade five and six.
But that's two or three years down the track. That doesn't really help with the disappointment of today, eh?
Time's a great healer though, and I'm pretty sure most of them will get over it by tomorrow!
By which time we'll be beginning the process to choose the various House Captains instead.
It all starts again, eh?
Cheers.
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Statewide Stopwork, Valentine's Day, 2008 - Monday, February 11, 2008
The Victorian Education Union have organised a state-wide stop work action for February 14th, 2008. That's this Thursday, a few days from now. The way the law runs is that only those who are members of the Union and hold teacher or principal class roles in a school are legally allowed to stop work on this day. Other school officers and integration aides and the other various important roles other people carry out in the school setting are not allowed to join the strike. Being a teacher, I am legally allowed to stop work this Thursday without fear of reprisal, except for the docking of that day's pay.
That is... if indeed I am a member of the Union after all. I eventually gave in and joined late last year, but a check of by bank history since that time shows that the monthly payments haven't been coming out, so it wouldn't surprise me if they never got around to putting me on their books anyway.
Which I suppose could be one reason I'm not stopping work this Thursday, much to the quiet disappointment of my class!
The reasons seem to be that Victorian teachers are the lowest paid in the country (let's see how long this link stays active!), and figures seem to show that most other states in Australia pay teachers up to 15% more. So, yes, again it comes down to wanting more money. Which I suppose is fair enough, as I'll quietly argue (because doing it loudly doesn't seem to be worth it with some people!) that we do more than our fair share for what we receive, even including those often hyped school holidays we get. Forget about coming in during the last week of said holidays to make sure everything's ready to run smoothly that first week back too, eh?
But stopping work for more money just doesn't sit right with me. I'm not going to begrudge anyone else who takes the other choice, but it doesn't fit with my view on why I teach. The money could be better, but for me I'd rather find a better... no, not necessarily better... let's say 'different' way to handle it.
Other reasons for the stop work include reducing class sizes further, which I suppose makes sense... but I often think that, if my class size was to be reduced from 25 to 21, for instance, who makes the choice which of my four I remove? Every kid that belongs to your grade contributes in such a way that, once they're removed from it, changes that grade forever. I don't think I've had a grade that I'd want to change in such a way.
Okay, I know that's taking the example to the extreme as kids wouldn't be pulled out of grades halfway through a year and tacked into another one just to reduce numbers, but it's how I view such a change for me. Yeah, I might have a few more kids, but those four kids add much more to the grade than if they weren't there.
Another reason is contract teaching. A twelve month contract, and you have to reapply for your position at the end of the year and go through the interviewing process all over again. I lived that for three years, lost my position once due to outside circumstances but was fortunate enough to pick up the second position going at the same school, and came out the other end with an ongoing position. It's a bugger of a way to go about maintaining your employment, and I know my work has improved dramatically since I no longer had to worry about continually proving myself beyond the people who really matter, and for me that's the kids. Removing contract positions in lieu of only ongoing ones makes perfect sense to me, and a strong reason to stop work.
But what's the first reason the Union usually puts on their posters, and more often than not in great big fat fonts? Increase of salary. To me, the other arguments are much more important to fix first, but the money is the one that gets yelled first. Then there's their argument that only by paying teachers what they deserve will the state get the good teachers it deserves. Well... what about those of us working our bums to the bone for the wage we've already got. You've got the best teachers here already. I found that line of argument just a little insulting. I can see their point, I just don't think they thought through their statements quite properly.
 Anyway... fact of the matter is I'm going to work that day, and the kids, while grizzling a little when I passed that bit of tragic news onto them, seemed to take on my reasons and are happy enough with my choice. Which I think is pretty impressive coming from eight and nine year olds. Several of them were even aware of the reason why the stop work was going ahead. Yes, that lack of wages thing! I'd also told the kids on the first day of the year that I expected them to be at school every day they could possibly manage. I also gave them my word that I would do likewise. Choosing to go out on a stop work wouldn't be keeping that word, although it would be different if the reasons were for more than just the money.
Mind you... heading off to Melbourne to march and wave big banners is just not something I can picture myself doing, so it was always going to be difficult to get me to go out on stop work. I'm not the union minded person that the education department seems to think makes up its membership, but I'm fortunate my school isn't a militaristically unionist school like others can be. At least here I have the choice and are respected for it, as I've heard others aren't as forgiving.
It'll be interesting to see whether this does any good in the long run though, but for now, it looks like there'll be three grades running the school next Thursday. Probably the quietest day of the year.
Cheers.
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When it rains, it pours... - Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Went yesterday evening to watch those two kids play their first game of Under 14 basketball. When one of them saw me there, instead of a nice g'day and a friendly hand shake or a wave, he decided to throw the ball against my arm a few times while I wasn't watching. Cheeky little bugger. That little bit of friendly, well-intentioned disrespect over and done with, we had a bit of time to just sit and chat and catch up after the summer holiday and see how things have been.
I asked him why, when we met at the cricket a week earlier, he hadn't told me his good news. He looked at me with a vague expression so I prodded again. Your good news! Oh, he said, realisation dawning in his eyes, yeah, I got the Star of the Week award at my new school first week back!
Fantastic. But what about your new little brother and sister, eh? Oh yeah, the twins arrived in January. Obviously enough time had passed for the novelty to wear off!
They had a win and played pretty well for a new age group. It was good to sit down and just watch the kids have fun without having to worry about being the teacher. I really believe both the kids and yourself get a whole lot more out of interactions like this, as you get to see their real personalities outside of school, and they get to know you in much the same manner.
They've got a bye next week though, so I get a week off!
Gave the grade a big old spelling test today. Seventy words in total. We did it in two bits, forty then thirty after a break, all done before recess. The kids soldiered through it really well so they earned the reward of a lolly from the jar at the end. I seriously hope the government doesn't try to remove lollies from class rooms because of childhood obesity like was rumoured a year or two back. I don't think doing a big spelling test for the glorious reward of a wet carrot stick will have to same sort of appeal, eh?
Anyway, from the results of their efforts I managed to get a good overall picture of the kids' spelling abilities. They're all generally eight or nine years old, and the range of spelling ages this test gave me indicated the kids stretch from a spelling age of about 7 to nearly 13. A good range, and the few down towards the bottom aren't all that far below where they're expected to be. A good base to work with, and also enough cluey spellers in the grade that Mr V can send the kids to ask their mates how to spell words now instead of being continually interrupted while he's trying to listen to little Johnny stumble over his reading like a one legged donkey on a hillside.
Meanwhile, it fair belted it down at school today. The heavens opened up and decided to dump the equivalent of Port Phillip Bay over the school pretty well from go to whoa all day. By the final bell, half of the basketball court was under water and the kids were watching the gutter out the front surging past and beginning to have serious concerns of out portable being floated away. Sending them off to the loo caused a few wet moments too. Especially when one thought it would be good to stand in the rain a little while on the way back. It looked like he'd fallen in, so I gave him the quiet, stern talking to when he got back. He was quite quiet and repentant too. He had the strength to look me in the eyes all the way too, so I know he's got something there.
Meanwhile... to add to a bit of intrigue... one of the kids I watched last night got called up to the office over the loudspeaker for the whole school to hear. I think I'll have to drag him aside sometime tomorrow and have a bit of a word and find out what's going on. I've told him before he's got me on his side to the very end because he's shown me he's more than worth my effort, but I think a bit of an ear bash on a few home truths might be in order.
We'll have to see how it goes tomorrow.
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More than just yesterday's teacher... - Friday, February 1, 2008
We've been back at school for three days now, the kids and I, and the grade's looking like it's going to be another winner. Nothing to complain about here. But more on them a little later. No doubt they'll give me plenty of material to put up here throughout the year. Instead, I'm going to ramble on about two kids in particular, both of which haven't been in my grade for more than one and two years, respectively. Today they managed, in a quick thirty second conversation as I passed one of them in the yard, to show me how significant I still am to them. No longer am I just the teacher they had fun with back in grade three or four. I'm somebody that's still important enough that they think it imperative that I'm still actively involved with their lives.
Here we go.
They're both now starting grade six. I taught one back in grade three, and the other in grade four. Both are fantastic kids and brilliant people. If I had a top five, they'd be fighting for top spot. One of them, unfortunately, had to transfer schools for this year, but that hasn't stopped them.
I watched these two play basketball all of last year. The first feller I've actually been watching since half way through grade three, about two and a half years now. At the end of last year, they won their first premiership, and even invited me as the 'number one ticket holder' to join their breakup pool party the following weekend. There was no way I was going to miss that, and to be honest, it's probably the best day I've had in my entire career. You get to know the kids at school, but very rarely are you given the privilege of getting to know them outside of that environment. That day I realised they were even better people than I first thought.
This year though, they had to join a team from another school as there were no other teams from here in their age group. That means a different weeknight than usual. These two have managed though to still get a message to me today concerning this year's basketball.
I was heading across the yard to have a recess break in the classroom when he ran up with a huge grin. Turns out the young feller who's now at another school had found out when they were to play and spent most of the weekend trying to ring the other young feller to tell him the time. Once they both knew, the next step was for the second kid to make sure he let me know.
Yep. They're playing for another team, but I seem to be important enough that they needed to make sure I was there to watch them.
Not just an old teacher from a few years ago. Not just yesterday's hero.
It's the little thoughtful things like this kids do from time to time that make everything worthwhile.
You know where I'm going to be Tuesday afternoons now, eh?
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First Day - Wednesday, January 30, 2008
 Today was what I consider the official 'first day' of school. The kids were there. No meetings or sitting around listening or getting stuff ready for when the kids turn up. No. Today, the kids turned up, and all the preparation is tested to breaking point. Have you got all their lockers ready? Are you organised enough to not only get them to sort out their year's supply of books and pencils into some sort of order, or remind them of all the regular school rules they've learned by rote, but can you remember how to sit down in front of two score odd kids and get them to sit and listen?
I mean... that first half hour or so is when you either win them over or spend the rest of the year playing catch up, eh? How did I manage it? The same way I handle it each year.
I made myself look silly. In this case, mentioning something along the lines of behaving, or if your mum's anything like mine she'll bash you. Got a giggle.
Then I completely won them over by showing them how I can pull my thumb off. Always a winner. Any teacher that can pull body parts off and reattach them MUST be cool, eh?
Makes them think twice too, when I threaten them later with ripping off their arms and hitting them with the sloppy end. Cos if I can put my thumb back on without a mark, a nine year old's arm can't be too much of a jump, eh?
Okay. Besides that, there was serious stuff too. The kids wrote me between half a page to a page about their holidays in about twenty minutes in generaly silence, and then I threw a spelling test on them first day up, so they should realise they're gonna be doing work as well. It's not just Mr V making himself look a dill so they all want to come to school each day in case Mr V does something else silly.
Mind you... getting them there is more than half the battle, eh?
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Australia Day Weekend, 2008 - Monday, January 28, 2008
Lots of sun, lots of lamb and lots of cricket this weekend.
Australia Day was Saturday, a nice, warm day with a chance of rain all across the district, except wherever we were, which would have been useful while we were being beaten at cricket in the afternoon. Shouldn't complain though... it was a nice day! The morning was the annual walk around the local town, then off to play cricket. Beaten, but that's not really news this year.
Sunday though, the state team (Victorian Bushrangers) played South Australia out here in an official match. I believe they send them out to a regional location once a year to spread the game to the grassroots level. Got in for free as part of my local club (along with the other local clubs) and raised money selling icecreams and drinks all day. Victoria had a good win, but the entertainment came from the drunk ten metres further along who decided to do a nudey run across the oval. He ran back along the gravel path around the boundary in bare feet, got dressed again, and continued drinking. Apparently his mates bet him $20 to do it. Nine of them. So he made $180. Nobody seemed to worry though, as the security or police never bothered to chase him.
Mind you... if any of my school kids were there, I know what their show and tell is gonna be come Wednesday morning!
Caught up with one of the kids there too, a young feller who's doing his last primary school year at another local school instead, which was a shame. Good to catch up with him though. You're not officially supposed to be friends with the kids, but there's always a few you get closer to than most. I can see the reasoning, but a good friend's not something to just toy around with, eh?
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School Spirit Update: A Day at the Cricket - Sunday, January 27, 2008
A new storyline begins today (January 27th), or more appropriately, progresses the current story further, after the School Spirit Special strip just before Australia Day. Wendy's old school photo has disappeared from her gravestone, and she's off to find the boys to get them to help her find it again.
Unfortunately, the boys are already playing cricket that day...
A Day at the Cricket
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School Spirit Update: The Rum Rebellion - Thursday, January 24, 2008
Today's strip is another School Spirit Special - a larger strip than the regular ones. Another 'Australian History and Culture' strip, the sixth in this series. It focuses on the Rum Rebellion, the two hundredth anniversary of which is on this year's Australia Day on the 26th.
That's Miss Conway on the left, too. In case someone's wondering who this woman is.
School Spirit's Rum Rebellion
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Preparing the classroom - a house of cards... - Wednesday, January 23, 2008
A curious mixture of realising I need to get the classroom in some sort of order before the kids get back next Wednesday and a rather lengthy sense of boredom sitting at home saw me while away most of yesterday afternoon back at work. The cleaners had paid a second major visit to the room since I had last been in just after New Year's and had moved all the piles of stuff I was still to sort from the back half of the room into the main area of the room so they could clean the lino floor. No worries, except those relatively neat piles were stacked on tables and chairs and my desk. So five hours later I emerged having inhaled several cubic metres of dust and sporting a nose that was running faster than a kid tied to the school bus.
I also came across the box of a dozen sets of playing cards, as well as about five other decks that didn't fit into the box. So I sat down to sort them out. Well, that killed two of my five hours right there. Now we have twelve complete decks of cards, and a pile of extra cards taller than the box they all live in. So many extras, yet not enough of the right cards to make another deck.
I think I might just sit those twelve complete decks up on the shelf, tell the kids they are there, and then not let them touch them again. I was starting to relish the boredom I had been feeling back at home before the cards were all sorted.
Anyway, the afternoon proved productive as the kids' locker tubs now have bright blue on orange name tags contacted onto the front, their little name tags I use for all sorts of random draws are laminated and chopped up in a little plastic bucket, and the tables are now relatively clean and all the piles of unsorted stuff have now been either sorted and put into appropriate places, sorted and put into inappropriate places until I can find an appropriate place for them later, or unsorted and hidden in the supply cupboard in the back room.
I'm thinking of taking a photo of the room, because experience tells me that it will not get cleaner and more organised than this for the rest of the year, so I might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
Which will probably be until this Wednesday. Yep. The day the kids turn up.
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When the kid's mum cuts your hair... - Monday, January 21, 2008
As a teacher in a relatively small town (there's about eight primary schools, so I don't know most of the kids, but I seem to know enough of them), there's always a pretty good chance that, come holidays, each time you wander down the street to grab some food to fill the pantry, you're going to run into one or three kids or families. Some will holler out your name in greeting in the loudest voice they can muster, waving furiously as though their pinky finger has just been bitten by a dirty great yabbie who just won't let go. Others will hope you didn't see them and cross the plaza floor to walk on the other side, keeping their head down and intently studying the posters of women's products stuck to the shop window.
Once a term or so I'll get my hair cut in the cheap joint in the local plaza, right out the front of the main shop. The lady who cuts my hair happens to be the mum of one of the kids I had the pleasure of teaching last year, so at least we have something to chat about. She wants some dirt on him, so I make something up and ask the poor little bugger about the outcome on Monday morning. All good. Today was no exception.
This is also the kid who turned up just before school photo day with his hair in a mohawk. Funny thing is, it suited him and didn't really stand out as much as it would on other kids. He carried it well and didn't make any fuss at all over it. It was just his hair, nothing more.
I knew it was his birthday in two days time (with some kids you just remember their birthdays) so I brought that up, get mum to wish him a happy birthday for me. No worries. He's at his Dad's at the moment though, so she'll let him know when he gets back later in the week. Good thing I reminded her about his birthday though, because it's the same day the school opens before term for parents to pick up their kids' school supplies. Well... that's where we hatched our plan.
When he gets back home at the end of the week, ready to get presents from this half of the family, he'll be handed a great big box wrapped in nice paper. When he opens them, he'll find this year's school supplies. My little parting shot at him.
We'll have a laugh about it when he finds me in the schoolyard again. That's the way it should be.
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Soon to start again... - Sunday, January 20, 2008
There's just over a week to go before the school year starts for 2008. It's about this time that most of us think about wandering into the classroom from time to time leading up to that first day to start getting bits and pieces ready. Fiddle around here and there, straightening stuff up, putting labels on the kids' lockers. The more done in this week, the less worry on that one day of work we have without the kids. After that first day, the kids are here and it's all hands on deck, hold on tight and we'll see you in the staffroom at the end of the day. The first beer might be free, after that, it's regular prices to raid the fridge.
Mind you... I've been ready to head back to work and get involved with the kids for the last week already. Probably says something about me, but that's okay. To be honest, this has been the first holidays I think I can remember when I've managed to walk around town fairly regularly without ANY kids actually meeting me and calling out in public. Not that I don't mind that, it just usually happens five times every day I drive into town.
Anyway. Time to start getting the house in order so it's at least liveably clean before the first term starts up.
And fiddle with the School Spirit webcomic. I've managed to put the holidays to good use and have a backlog that will see the strip through almost to the end of term one, so it's not a mad rush to get any more done right at the moment. I can take it easy for a while now.
Right. I'll wander back and put something else up if anything vaguely important happens in the next few days.
Cheers.
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About Me
This is an offspring of the School Spirit Webcomic site. Where that site features the comic strip itself, this site focuses more on the real life minor adventures of teaching in semi-rural Victoria.
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