WHAT!!??

Click on images to read...
By reading this article, I first thought, when I saw the link..."oh no, must be in South Africa"....and then....following the link....goodness gracious!!! America!!!!! THE country....of all that think they are well clear of "racism"...wow!!

Read here the article of the first one further...

Second article can be found here.....

A day out!

Scroll down for a bit of English... Y5 taster trip...for the Y6 trip in the new year.

Hierdie was 'n uitstappie met die twee Jaar 5-klasse - my klas was 'n gemengde klas, dus was dit 1 1/2 klas en nie twee volledige klasse nie - om vir hulle 'n voorsmakie te gee van die Jaar6-uitstappie. In Jaar6 gaan hulle vir so 'n uitstappie waar hulle vir so 3 nagte oornag en allerhande "pret" het. Dis nou amper soos 'n miniatuur "veldskool". Die kinders leer baie om saam te werk in 'n groep en om mekaar aan te moedig in die aktiwiteite. Hulle kry ook probleme waar hulle 'n oplossing in die groep moet vind. Alle probleme moet self probeer opgelos word sonder enige hulp vanaf die kant van die volwassenes, ons kon bietjie leiding/voorstelle hier en daar gee, maar nie die oplossing nie. Ons het so bietjie uit London gery...suidwaarts deur Greenwich en Bexley na die plekkie.

Die foto's onderaan die blog is dan ook wat ek geneem het soos die bus gery het, sommer in die ry geneem! Oppad terug was die kinders taamlik moeg na die dag se pret, soos van die foto's vir julle wys. Dis nie aldag dat hulle so 'n geleentheid kry nie, sommige van hulle kom net NOOIT weg van die huis nie....ongelooflik...maar waar. Een outjie....Steven...het my kop van my ore af gepraat van opgewondenheid soos hy dinge op die pad gesien het...ook van 'n land van Afrika af.....as ek hom nie pertinent gevra het om stil te bly, sodat ek met die ander Onderwyseres 'n woord kan inkry nie, sou hy eenstryk aanmekaar gepraat het....en ek het letterlik 'n paar keer vir hom gevra om stil te bly omdat ek 'n praatbeurt wil he!

Die Onnies by die plek is almal gekwalifiseerde Onnies, maar hulle was meestal van verskillende lande. Die enetjie in my groep, Cindy, was van Amerika en dan was daar een van die manne van Australie. (deelteken daar, dankie, my Alt-funksies wil nie 'n deelteken en kappie gee nie, jammer!) Hulle kom van ander lande en werk by die Avontuurkampe om bietjie die wereld te leer ken. Sy het gese sy wil eintlik na Australie gaan en haar daar gaan vestig.

Onnies wat die dag se aktiwiteite aangebied het.....Teachers at the camp...organised the day's activities. Cindy is at the back, from America. One male teacher was from Australia.
Walk to the woods...to build a shelter! Sounds like our schools in SA in the "good old days"....Ons stap na die woud om 'n skuiling te gaan bou...klink dit bietjie bekend? Veldskool in SA!
'n Heerlike swembad om in rond te plas en te speel....ook om bietjie te leer swem. Swimming pool to play and splash around...and to learn to swim too.

Hier moes hulle hul verbeel die gras is 'n rivier! Daar is woeste krokodille in die rivier en hulle moet almal oorkom sonder dat EEN aan die gras raak...anders vat Cindy die band weg...sy is dus die "krokodil"...Cindy played the crocodile...they had to cross the "river" and the moment someone gets on the grass...the croc has a meal! So, then Cindy takes away the tyre...and nobody was allowed on the grass!
Diep dink hier, die hout vierkante moet almal in orde gepak word, maar mag nie een van hulle los rondle nie...hulle moet almal "iewers" wees...en dis 'n storie om dit uitgesorteer kry sodat hulle van groot na klein gepak word...hulle mag nie die blokke op die gras neergesit het nie, hy moes in 'n ander paal gaan totdat hy gebruik word....sorting wooden squares from largest to smallest...and you are not allowed to put them on the grass....it must go into a pole until you use it...

Skuiling amper klaar, maar dis 'n gesukkel! Geen hulp mag verleen word..hulle moet self dink...maar kan hulle! Die arme goed...! Met bietjie "raad" en idees het hulle dit darem reggekry...die drie is almal van Afrika en die enetjie heel regs was in my klas, baie oulik en 'n "prinses" in haar stam waar sy vandaan gekom het...moes vlug...as gevolg van situasie in die land. Sy is nou so 5 jaar in Engeland...Building shelters! What a nightmare...no idea how!! With a bit of thinking....they got there...we were not suppose to help them...poor thingies!
These two girls were not in my class...but very creative. I got them to start a story to pass the time...One started a sentence and the other continued and so on...the girl on the right was a new girl, very bright and cute...Die twee dogters was nie in my klas nie, die enetjie regs was in my literacy-groep...sy is baie slim en was op daardie stadium slegs 2 weke in die skool. Altwee oulike kinders, maar die enetjie regs het darem my hart gesteel! 'n Regte "lady".

Moeg! Tired!
Bexley.......Greenwich........London.........
Sommige motorhandelaars se besigheid is sommer so sonder 'n afdak...nie soos ons dit gewoond is in SA nie....en lyk maar bietjie klein...die spasie...terwyl ander handelaars ordentlike spasie het met 'n ordentlike gebou soos ons dit ken...

Learning disabilities

I want to save this link to come back to it later!

Best book if you're a teacher in a Primary School.

Readhere more about learning disabilitiesand the different types.

School, books and nature

This nature program will definitely be on my list of TV programmes to watch when I'm in South Africa next week!

http://www.5050.co.za/


Just discovered I have a couple of books to read! on top of another 6 given as a present....this one is about Philosophy....which I like..."The Reason of Things..." by A C Grayling....and I still need to read these two! By Richard Bach..."The Bridge across forever..." and...."One"....

Picture of my Secondary school.....on your way to the office ....

http://www.hslydenburg.co.za/site/
Follow this link to my old school's website....my Secondary school.......

...........and this link to the place where my grandfather started a school...
Boschfontein Primary School.... it's a small farm school, still existing....
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?title=Boschfontein%2C%20KwaZulu%20Natal%2C%20South%20Africa&t=l&map=-30.5833,29.1167164&loc=ZA:-30.5833:29.1167:16#t=l&map=-25.10125,30.25137114&loc=:-25.1:30.25:11Boschfontein,

Wednesday's quote:

Our games reveal our characters

by...Ovid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovid

Memories

This is going to be short bits....only flashes of memories through the years...not in order!
I can remember during my student years as a day-student.... when it was break, we were sitting at DSO...that stands for "Day Students Organisation"... having tea, chats, laughs and just lazing around....it was great! Wonder where Linda is...and all the others!!
Also, in the Youth Centre, Vermeulen Street...next to Bosman Church....lived there for a couple of years....was soooooooo great! Fantastic years with other students...some of them medical students...doctors/dentists...... most others were working students....was a lovely time, my best memories during my student years are definitely from there.... But we had great times together...went together to Vliegekraal one weekend..."vlieg" means "fly"...and there were loads/tons of flies in that place! We went skydiving!!...that was also nerve racking, but great! We used to buy roasted chicken at night and went to the Union Buildings....and have a picnic on the lawn....so many times we did that...and nights out to the movies...and late night chats...till 3 am in the morning! Philosophised the whole night through! hahaha....
When I was at Secondary, we were in the food technology class. I was 14, I think. The teacher put out ingredients for us to use after play. We were about 4 girls, leaving the class after her and helped ourselves with cheese and white bread! When she came back after play, asking who helped themselves, we owned up...she said..."girls, you're going to be fat one day...you're going to be so fat....!"....she wasn't mad at us...she was a sport...a year later...she got divorced and liked to have chats with us girls about boyfriends...her daughter was our age...one year younger than me...and we...of course..liked the chats more than school work...! She always used to say..."girls! you better watch out...!" that was funny...I can still hear her voice..saying.."girls!"...she was like a real mother, giving advice to her daughter! :)
My maths teacher took leave for 3 months and we got this female teacher. She was very friendly.. .but I liked our maths teacher more...but anyway...we had 3 periods of maths on a Wednesday...that means more than an hour in one class! She said that we can't go without having some snacks and us girls volunteered to bring each Wednesday snacks, as long as the boys contribute...so, for a whole term, every Wednesday we had snacks while doing our work...when our maths teacher came back, we had snacks the first Wednesday again...and the "excuse"...Susan's birthday...next Wednesday...again...but what "excuse" this time...! So... we spilled the beans...hahaha...he didn't mind...because it was all home made snacks which he thoroughly enjoyed! Just look at the pic! Yummy!

During Primary school, we sang a lot of songs from different cultures. This song, called "Cockles and Mussels" was really a song we all liked a lot!
In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!
Alive, alive-O! alive, alive-O!
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!
She was a fish-monger, but sure 'twas no wonder
For so were her father and mother before
And they each wheeled their barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!
Alive, alive-O! alive, alive-O!
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!
She died of a fever, and no one could save her
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone
But her ghost wheels her barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!
Alive, alive-O! alive, alive-O!
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!
If anyone tells me about Ireland or Dublin, this song jumps to my mind immediately! Our music teacher, ms Koeleman, (Dutch) made it fun for us during singing, we all loved the songs we sang! And I can remember the boys singing "alive, alive-o!...." very loudly, as if that's the only part they knew!
another nice song...not sang at school though....lol
By the Everly Brothers
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
When I want you in my arms
When I want you and all your charms
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
When I feel blue in the night
And I need you to hold me tight
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam
I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreaming my life away
I need you so that I could die
I love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam

Alan....poor man...not feeling well...

Blue mood....that's what his mood is like...:))
Lunch time...too exhausted...in the Assistant Head's office...too tired to have his tea! How much can you take in two weeks...only THIS much...! That's how we as teachers feel....one thing after the other...non-stop! Give us a BREAK!

Thursday......coming

Today was quite relaxing, after yesterday at home with PPA. PPA is the 10% of "free" time British teachers get per week to do all kinds of admin/marking/planning...things you usually just don't have time to do during other times. Sadly, most of our PPA-time gets used for "training", which is most of the time a waste of our really good time to do what we really need to do. In some schools, like mine, you get it every second week, then it's a whole day and yesterday was the second day this whole year, for me to work from home! Unbelievable...but true....

Today I was half day in class, for teaching, the other half - after lunch - I was meant to be doing Child Conferencing...that's when we have individual sessions with each child in our class to have a general chat about levels, problems, etc. That's very useful, because children really listen to advice and they are taking any advice on board to improve their levels.

Tomorrow....another half day of teaching....Gospel singing in the morning, first hour...the Gospel project. People from outside the school come into school and work with the children. Eventually they will take part in a singing Festival. And....the afternoon again an hour practise with the choir teacher for another singing project coming up! Geee....I'm only doing ONE hour of teaching, because my Y6 children will be working on their animation project the afternoon, only 7 of them, because the other 6 join my Y5's in the choir practise!

Thursday: Whole day out of school, due to the Y5-taster trip. We're going to travel to Kent, about 1 hour's travel. Just to give them an insight in what the Y6-trip will be like, to inspire more of them to go on the Y6-trip next year.....

My Y6-children are really taking the animation-project very seriously. They are now at the stage where they make everything, characters and background scenes. Next step: to take photos and to do the voice over.

The Y1's really looked great this afternoon when I "inspected" their South African dance, which I taught them on Friday for their Class Assembly this coming Friday. They were so even and so excited to show me after yesterday's practise. And they all practised to say their names in different languages too....I thought that was really something great for them, I don't know if I would be able to say my name in some of those languages!

And...in the meantime...everybody is stressed out because of lesson observations!!

The Piano

The Piano - The funniest videos clips are here

Tuesday

School was good today.....children watched 2 movie clips...from Charlie and the chocolate factory and Treasure Island...tomorrow from Christmas Carol. We're going to compare elements and then they're going to use "The Piano" - you can find it here: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/52576/the_piano/ --to write their own version....





Dan
OK...as I promised on the chess site...

This is just to say
thank youfor all your comments
which i do appreciate
and the time you take
to comment
Thought you would like to know
that i don't take it for granted
but do welcome it
and from other people
as it will tell me if
they do enjoy the photos
and the links
that will hopefully enrich them
and broaden their views!

Library - chess

Kiddies...playing chess!