But we are celebrating none the less. This week I have been in Lamington production...21 for Kit's class and 26 for Oscar's. Kit's teacher has been doing a big build up all week for an Australia day party today. The kids have been learning all about Australia and I'm going in with the Lamingtons this afternoon. (Oscar wanted to take them in just because...)
I am also taking in an Aboriginal art book. Every Friday I go in to Kit's class to do activities to help with fine motor skills. It's great because the school's OT suggests the activities, the teacher provides the equipment and I just sit and do it with them...this came about because Kit told her that I'm a teacher (he's also told her that I'm and artist and a gymnast...that kid has some imagination!). But his teacher wanted to do Australian inspired fine motor activites this week, so I came up with the idea of doing dot paintings with cotton ear buds. Kit's little Churunga stone (a good luck stone with the crab on it that he got from his Grandemaggie) is coming in as an example too. In fact the kids were searching for more Australian "things" for me to take, but we didn't come up with much.
And the Friday thing in Kit's class is on top of my Junior Great Books class that I take with 3 5th graders at lunch time. The JGB is a programme which is run nationally and at some schools they incorporate it into the curriculum, but at the kids' school they are running it as an optional thing. It's aim is to encourage the reading and discussion of stories that require a higher level of thought. I had to do a training programme to do it (I had no idea what it was when I signed myself up for it!). It's great though. Kit and Ella do it on different days and they love it. Remi is in my group, but unfortunately I've only got another 2 kids in my group which makes it really difficult to get a discussion going (there should be 8-20 kids). The facilitator (me) is not supposed to get involved in the discussion, but I find that really hard with such a small group. We are just supposed to ask questions...But I enjoy it. It actually requires a lot of prep work before each class. But it only runs for 10 weeks, so it's not so bad. At least all my lot get to do it for free ( would have been $40 each) because I'm teaching.
Anyway, Have a Wonderful Day. Think Aussie.
freezing here too!!! Im gunna play very loudly tonight that version of the national anthem sung to Jimmy Barnes Working Class man....love it!
ReplyDeleteYou ideas for class look GREAT. Do you remember me telling you for Darbys Kindergarten "A" week I dressed up as an Aboriginal and we did dot paintings on bark that I took off trees!!! Super cool...they will love it. Dont forget your camera!! Im using my computer right now...but still have loads to load......
I hope Oscar's didgeridoo made an appearance, along with some fabulous didge playing of course.
ReplyDeleteWell we actually had clouds in the sky this morning.
We've had snow on the highlands, gale force winds and rain showers all weekend -not conducive to Aussie BBQ weather, but we celebrated Australia Day with Tim, Amy, Nicole (my student) & the three kids with roast lamb and the works! (plus a bit of Swiss bread and Swiss chocolate cake that Nicole made to go with the strawberries) We even invited over Rachel (my tentant) because young Sam (3yrs) saw her out the window and said " I love that girl. I'm going to marry her" Pity about the 25 yr age difference!
ReplyDeleteThe work you are doing with the students sounds great!
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