Saying Goodbye

It's never easy to say goodbye. The boys and I struggled in those last days to bid farewell to those who were "our family away from our family" and our close friends. It was draining and almost like peeling away a bandaid slowly. Eventually, we just wanted it to be over so that we could move beyond the sadness to the joy and anticipation of going home.

The thank yous we would like to give are too numerous to mention. Our friends in Narrandera are so special to us and have an irreplaceable place in our hearts. To the people who gave their friendship to us and shared their lives and their homes, we are truly grateful. To those who checked in on us, stopped by for coffee, made sure we got to the many footie fields for games, invited the boys to go places and try new things - thank YOU! Our year was richer because of you.

We are so thankful to the O'Brien's and the Smith's for their friendship, love and care over the year in Narrandera. They shared their lives with us and gave us experiences that we will cherish for a lifetime. We loved our visits to the farm and the boys relished the playtime building forts, riding horses, running with the chooks, sheep and goats. They showed us how to throw a carp and introduced us to Aussie Rules Football - a sport that Sam and Jake eagerly joined. We never would have gotten packed up and able to leave without Brigitte's help and for that I am more grateful than words can express.

It is our hope that the friendships we have made will continue and that should any of you choose to "call in", please know that you will be welcomed with a warm hug and the love and care of a good friend. We hope to one day to be able to return to Narrandera to catch up over a "stubby" or a glass of moscato out on the veranda. Thanks again to all of you! XXOO

Farewell Farewell Farewell

The last days of school were full of farewells!

Sam's best mate, Harry and his wonderful family threw him a farewell party at their home. There were nearly 30, 13/14 year old's there and they rocked the pool (and everything else!) as they had a blast! The theme was red and white and the yard was decorated beautifully. The cake was a Canada flag and Sam was given a supreme send off. Thank you Orme Family!

Jacob's class surprised him with a farewell party on the second last day of school. There was enough food to carry the party over to 2 days! His class gave him a boomerang that was made by Mick Lyons - a treasure that he loves. He also received a lovely card with lots of lovely messages inside.

On the last day, the families of my class surprised me with a party in my classroom. After coming in from Yard Duty, many parents and my students were waiting to greet me! Kate Hall made a heartfelt speech about the year we had together and then each of my Year 3's also made a statement. It was beautiful and of course made me emotional. I told them how much the year meant to me as well and that I hope to keep in touch. There was yummy cake and I was presented with a beautiful engraved necklace and a piece of art depicting various landmarks in Narrandera. I was speechless and deeply touched by this community of wonderful people. I was so lucky to be at St. Joseph's in Year 3.

That evening, we had our end of year staff function which was themed "Canada and Australia". Once again, there was a lot of red and white as everyone dressed in Canada colours. Robin used ebay to import special touches like maple leaf balloons, a flag and a special Canada/Australia flag pin for me. I was presented with some beautiful jewellery from the staff as well as a gorgeous Koala aboriginal painting created by Steve and Phil. It was a fabulously fun night - a perfect way to end my time at St. Joey's.

The School Community of St. Joseph's is what makes the school such a magical place to be. The students are so polite, enthusiastic and wonderful, the parents so caring and supportive and the staff is like family. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE has the best interests of those kids at heart and will go above and beyond contracts and hours to make the school experience a rich one for the students. It's a winning combination and I feel blessed to have had the privilege of being a part of it - if only for a year.

This experience has made me a better educator and it is something I will reflect on for many years to come.

"Splashdown" and "Carols by Candlelight"

On Sunday, December 11, we invited our friends and "classmates" to join us at the Narrandera Lake Talbot Pool for a time to socialize and say goodbye to those we may not see before we leave. Despite mostly cloudy skies and at times threatening rain we had a great turnout. The temperature was warm and the water was fine. It was a great time and we thank all those who came!Here's a pic of Sam, Jake, Jack and some mates.







That evening we attended a community event called, Carols by Candlelight" at the local park. Lights were strewn about, Santa was there, food and novelty vendors were set up and many local residents were out in force with lawnchairs and candles. As the sun set, the carolling began as local schools and groups performed their best songs to get everyone in the spirit. Students from our school were performing "Christmas Star" under Marie and I and the excitement was in the air.
It was strange but lovely to be sitting in shorts and tees outside and singing Christmas carols amid lush vegetation and warm temperatures. Once again, the St. Joseph's students performed beautifully and we enjoyed hearing and seeing all the other groups perform. It was a fantastic night!

Above Left: Jack and friends Taj and James getting ready for the show.

Above: Jack as the "Christmas Star"


After our group finished their performance we could just sit back adn enjoy the rest of the show! Phew!

L-R Rod, Marie, Jarrod and I enjoying the music.

End of Year Concert

For a month, every day, we (my class and I) prepared and practiced for the End of Year Concert. I chose "Christmas Star", a John Burland song that I had performed at PJPII as our performance piece. I love it because it has a great beat, fabulous actions, and it tells the story of the Nativity.


The kids dress up as the nativity characters and we act out the story as we go along. The end has a surprise as one student pops out as the Christmas star to complete the scene.


I asked Reg, the school's part time music instructor and performing artist (he's performed at the Sydney Opera House AND with famous artists) to help me by critiquing our performance once a week and to make suggestions. Wow! He was terrific and was able to pick out details that I would not notice in order to polish our peformance to "professional" standards.
When the day of the concert finally arrived, we were SO ready! In costume and with our props, the kids were lined up to go onstage. I was hurrying around to get the stable and straw bales on the stage. I lifted the bales one at a time and placed them on the stage. As I set down the third and final bale, I felt that familiar grab and jolt that takes your breath away and I knew ... I threw my back out. I bit back tears and put my class on the risers for their dress rehearsal performance for the school. I videotaped the performance and it is a good thing because I never made it to the actual concert.
Please check the link below to see the rehearsal. The kids did a beautiful job at the concert and the show went on. I am really proud of how well they performed.





Jacob was also involved in the end of year concert. His class performed a choral reading of "The Night Before Christmas" and also did a fabulous job. Luckily, I managed to videotape his performance at the rehearsal as well. You can check it out here. Jacob is in the top right side of his class - wearing a Santa hat, a red shirt and green shorts. I was really proud to see him out there and not trying to hide in the crowd as he has done in the past. :)

The Last Weeks

As is customary in schools, those last weeks are "chock-a-block" full of events and the final nuggets of learning for the year. You can't help but look with pride at how your students have grown and changed over the year and you want them to recognize their achievements as well. For me, it was also an emotional time as I knew we were leaving and that the time to say goodbye was racing toward me. I truly enjoyed my students in Year 3 and found myself wishing for more time with them. They have been so eager to learn and to explore. They made learning fun for me as well not just by their enthusiasm, but also by asking great questions and working really hard. Knowing that I would be starting a new non-teaching position upon my return to Canada, leaving the Year 3 class had extra meaning.

The last 2 weeks of school had several events on the agenda: Water Fun Day, The End of Year Concert, Assemblies, Mass, Prayer Services, my classes "Eating Christmas Around the World", Secret Santa, Staff Function and much more!

Preparations

I was also busy preparing for our departure by organizing and packing and washing and cleaning cupboards, appliances and walls. We still didn't know if Dan would be coming back and so I was running travel scenarios in my mind constantly. How to pack EVERYTHING in, how to get to Sydney, how to ensure that we have a fun Christmas - even without Dan, how to get to the airport and get the car delivered, how to ensure we and our luggage make it to Winnipeg etc, etc, etc... Luckily, our friends and surrogate family in Narrandera were so supportive. I was overwhelmed by the kind offers and generosity of those around us. The St. Joseph's teachers, T.A.'s and Parents were amazing and so were our friends the Smith's, O'Brien's, Craze's, Hopwood's and Orme's. IF I had to go it alone, I could be sure that at least I would make it out of Narrandera :)

The following posts will highlight some of the events that occured in the last weeks of our time in Narrandera.

Jack Goes to School "Down Under"

When we return home in 19 short days - WOW! - Jack will be starting school for the first time, full time. He will be joining the J.K. class at Pope John Paul II. I've been thinking about this as he has been in Dan's care (dad-son :) until July and then he went into a home daycare which is where he currently spends most of his days. During staffroom chat one day, the kinder teacher suggested having Jack visit the kinder class before we leave to get a feel for how Jack would enjoy school. So, it was a date!

Last Friday, Jack dressed in "sport uniform" and came for a half day. To put it bluntly, he LOVED it! He didn't want to go back to the sitter's again, he only wanted to go to school. He was so excited to be in the school culture, to wear the uniform, to eat lunch outside, to go to the canteen to get an "ice block", to use the toilets - you name it, he loved it. Melissa, the kinder teacher prepared her class so well for Jack's visit and they cared for him so nicely. The kinder's here are 5 or 6 years of age so even seeing Jack among them made them look so mature. Jack looked so tiny.

Jack was again invited to go back for a full day and he did this yesterday, (Tuesday). He wore his "sport uniform" once again and this time, he got to do some art. He came home with 2 drawings and a painting which are now on display in his "giggle gallery". He got a sticker today for being wonderful. I asked him what he thought of school and he said it was fun. He likes playing outside at recess and making things. He wants to wear a uniform in Canada.

We'll see if he visits again before the end of the year. I am feeling confident that he will fit in just fine in his new school at home. Thank you Melissa and Kindie for welcoming Jack into your class - he loved it!