Back in the Classroom – A Creative Christmas Week

2013-11-29 | puppy1952

All this week I have been striving to keep the routine as normal as possible – difficult when you have to take in the reading books and start sending home exercise books and artwork – a clear indication to the little ones that the year is fast drawing to a close. To soften the blow we have stopped working in exercise books and instead concentrated on Educational and Creative Christmas activities. The girls have enjoyed the cutting and sticking, dot to dots,fun sums, word searches, crosswords and creative writing that we have done in various forms.

Of course the Grinch who tried to steal Christmas has continued to be our focus.

The Grinch Pops out of the page

A very good interpretation

Stunning Santas

I really don’t like this time of the year. It’s not that it’s the silly season – it’s the approaching parting of ways that is so hard. Of course the children must move on and there is another class waiting to be welcomed but somehow that doesn’t make it easier. The emotions are just there! The children are excited about next year but at the same time anxious about leaving what they know and it is my job to reassure them that all will be well when what I really want to say is – Don’t leave me Angels – and some dark part inside me says – the new teacher won’t love you as much as I do. But of course that’s not true – she will and my angels will continue to grow and I will start again with a new lot!

When I look at this photograph I felt so enormously proud – look at them engrossed in their books. That is what teaching Grade One is all about – they come illiterate and leave reading and loving books. They have learned the most important skill necessary for further learning. They have learned to READ!

A class full of readers

Enjoying the process

Deep into the stories

On Wednesday I will do my last Back in the Classroom Blog of the year. I look forward to seeing all my parents at the Awards Ceremony on Monday. Your little ones will make your proud!

The Myriads of Birds at False Bay Ecology Park

2013-11-25 | puppy1952

It was a beautiful day in Cape Town on Sunday. Earl and I after doing a few necessary chores at home decided to take a trip to visit the birds at False Bay Ecology Park. It’s amazing how it is different every time we go.

The ponds are teeming with birdlife

A typical Scene

The flamingos were dispersed on every pond

Harlaub’s Gulls sunned themselves

You have to look closely to find the terns among the gulls - this is a Swift Tern

You have to look carefully to find the terns among the gulls – this is a Swift Tern

Male Maccoa Duck

Black Winged Stilt

A Party of African Black Oyster Catchers

Moorhen with baby

Cape Teal

Levaillant’s Cisticola

African Pipit

Avocets

Cattle Egret in full breeding colours

Hadeda

Greenshank

Back in the Classroom – Celebrating my Birthday

2013-11-24 | puppy1952

Birthdays for a 7 year-old are very important be it your own or that of your friends. Of course when it’s your teacher that is a biggie! My little girls were thrilled to find out when my special day was and some started bringing little presents weeks in advance!

On Friday morning there was extra excitement as the girls poured into the classroom. My shoulder length, greying hair was now short and youthfully coloured. The little mouths were agape and the complements poured out. – You look pretty. You look young. I like your hair. You look like a queen. (not a princess – too old to be a princess!)

They could not wait for me to open their offerings so we gathered on the mat and I was blown away with all the spoiling. There was so much effort put into the cards and the pretty jewellery just had to be donned immediately. Thank you girls for your drawings, hearts, sums and messages. I will treasure your lovely earrings, necklaces and bracelets. The bunches and bunches of beautiful flowers are now in vases in my house and everybody has commented on how stunning they are. Thank you parents, too, for allowing your children to buy me gifts. My girls are so thoughtful – they chose and made their gifts knowing my colour preferences, love of birds as well as expressing how they felt about me. I feel so very, very spoilt!

After that excitement we practised for our awards ceremony and then did some normal work before playtime. I made the girls eat their healthy snack before celebrating with chocolate and vanilla cup cakes!

I was so impressed at the thought that went into the choices the girls made

Sweet treats and flowers and useful notebooks

Flowers, notes, pretty jewellery and bird pictures.

Thank you precious girls

More flowers and chocolates and a special coffee kit!

Next week is our last week together, girls. It’s going to be a busy one! We have one or two special surprises planned but we will also be putting in that last spurt of work to get you ready for Grade 2. So keep up with your homework and bring your energy and good attitude to school. We’ve blasted off and orbited and are now ready for the final Splashdown! Lets make the final week totally irresistible!

Back in the Classroom – Civvies Day

2013-11-17 | puppy1952

The term is winding down and we are trying to keep as closely to a normal routine as possible. The girls know that the pressure is off, they will all be progressing to the next grade and they’re wondering whether is is necessary to work so hard now. They are also a bit nervous about next year. They think they’ll miss their teacher and wonder how they’ll cope with a new one. Will they be with their best friend and what if they don’t like the girls they’re going to be with in Grade 2! Of course they will cope but they don’t know that yet. Moving on is good and we are doing everything we can to prepare them for the great move up. In the mean time, parents, keep up the diligence with homework. We want to consolidate those Maths and Reading skills. Some of the girls who made a slow start in Reading are now shooting ahead and I am proudly moving them up to higher levels. The better their grasp of the written word the better they will cope in Grade 2. Mathematical concepts are also falling into place as the children ‘get it’ with great glee. Many are begging for more difficult work cards.

As a reward for excellent behaviour in Assembly they were allowed to come to school in civvies on Friday. Although this usually brings out a slip in good behaviour I love seeing them in Mufti. Once the initial excitement of seeing each other in their lovely apparel wore off and the girls were warned that uniform behaviour was still the order of the day they settled down to a reasonably normal day of school work!

Such lovely Spring colours

Each in her own unique style

According to M on the right – Yellow is my favourite colour and that’s why she wore it!

A very pretty pose

Pretty in Pink

Enjoying the swings

Aren’t we cute

For the final two weeks of school we will be working less in our books and more in a special booklet of fun, educational activities – BUT the teaching will continue. Parents please continue to read to your children and encourage the girls to read, read, read on their own too. Keep counting in ones, twos, fives and tens and try to get into the higher number ranges. Challenge your girls with doubling and halving problems at least to 20 and help them to work with money – a wonderful way to get mathematical concepts across!

Outing with my Family

2013-11-13 | puppy1952

I was not teaching at my school when my two grandsons, Joshua and Jay were in Grade 6 and 7 there. (They are now in Grade 9 and 10 respectively) During that year they both took part in a musical put on by the Art and Drama teacher who adapted it as a school production. The show was – Guys and Dolls. Jay played the part of Branigan the policeman and Josh was in the evangelical parade that trooped across the stage at regular intervals.

So when my hairdresser, Johan informed me that he had a part in the same show at The Artscapes, I decided to take the family to see it. It would be great for the boys to see their characters portrayed by professionals. On Sunday afternoon we all piled into the Caravelle, picked up Laurie from her flat in Woodstock and made our way to The Theatre! Wow – did we enjoy it! And the boys and girls who performed in the school version can certainly be proud of themselves. They portrayed their characters beautifully.

Laurie lives in an apartment in Upper East Side, Woodstock. It is part of a Hilton Hotel Complex which comprises of the hotel, a shopping centre and apartments. After the show we treated the daughters and grandsons to a meal at a Liberty Restaurant which in her complex. The food was excellent and we all had a thoroughly good time.

Josh receiving meal from our charming waitron

Jay and Lolz intrigued by the balsamic vinegar

Jay and Lolz discussing the merits of a good balsamic vinegar

Lamb Burger to die for

Dad and Daughter

My Meal – Ostrich Medaillons

The calamari salad was great

Butternut Ravioli for Lisa? She never eats veggies at home!

Back in the Classroom – Grade One on Show

2013-11-09 | puppy1952

Teaching very young children has both its challenges and rewards. They arrive on the first day of school, brand new, excited, full of enthusiasm and raring to learn. Each child wants the teacher’s attention immediately, as she is still egocentric and the centre of her own world. Teaching thirty little girls to follow a classroom routine, sit still, wait their turn and consider their peers has to be done along with the 3 RS. It is at this time of year that we see the results, and it always amazes us.

Learning to Read

Each grade at our school has a turn to demonstrate what they have been doing in class, at an Assembly. As our turn came around each term, we chose the more confident children to take the leading parts, making sure as many as possible got a turn. This term we were blown away as many of the less confident children got their chance to shine. Just a few months ago they would not have managed it, but all our children have grown so much in maturity and confidence, that even the shyest were able to learn a few lines, stand up confidently, and say them.

We, the teachers, breathed a sigh of relief when at the performance went off without a hitch. But when the principal complemented our little ones with the words, “You were beyond phenomenal,” we could have burst with pride.