Fond

I've decided I am feeling quite attached to my little class already. They are so sweet.
I've already been given 4 "Miss F you're the best" (or similar...actually one said 'the beast'... but it was decorated with flowers and hearts so I think it was meant to be kind) posters and one amazingly gorgeous drawing of a sunset. maww!
Today a casual teacher was sent down to spontaneously release me from class. We were mid-Maths lesson (a really exciting one about addition of 3-digit numbers), so as I briefly explained the lesson for her to take over, my kids started whining "don't leeeeeeeeeeeave us" "just stay Miss F" "I don't waaant you to goooo" they almost got a "stay Miss F" chant going, haha.
One girl, though, as I was walking out the door said "have a great break Miss F, you deserve it." How sweet! Such undeserved love! I have been super stressed this week with so much paper work due today. I know I have not been the loving, sweet, kind, organised, fun, beautiful teacher that my kids happen to think I am. I am so spoilt to work with such amazing, forgiving, loving, intelligent, hilarious kids. It's going to be a good year!

Saturday.

Ok, this will be quick because I have a million things to do. 

But I just had to share Saturday. 

I'm pretty sure it was the hottest day we've had here ever. (according to some websites this week has broken heaps of records... even one that was 150 years old). Saturday was ridiculous. 

I went to a wedding on a beach. The sand burnt my feet, but  the ceremony was under a cliff so it wasn't too bad. Actually it was really beautiful! Nice, sweet ceremony!

The reception however... there was no air-con. We were right near the kitchen. We were hot.

I love this photo. (that's my sister in the back)
We spent so much of the night fanning ourselves with spoons and mopping our sweat with napkins. gross!
At 11:30pm, after the wedding we went for a wade in the waves. It was still 36 degrees (97'F).
It was a lovely wedding! but I'm pretty sure it will also be remembered for being disgustingly hot.

Also Saturday killed my class pet. Our little axolotl, who has survived 6 years of being poked and prodded and forgotten and over-loved did not survive being boiled in his own tank. Of course I didn't find him till this morning, which made for a smelly (dry retching, bloated-floating, decaying type smelly) start to the week.

Oh and also someone tried to burn down our school on Saturday.

That's all. How was your Saturday?

It's hot.

So, Australia has gone mental.

Poor Queensland has copped the most with the crazy floods last month, followed by the hugest cyclone last night (though it doesn't seem to have been as devastating as they thought it would be - Thank you God! Not one life was lost...and even one baby was born in an evacuation centre!).

Down here we've just had hotness...
It has been ridiculously hot. The past 4 days have been 42 degrees (108ish farenheit). On Tuesday it was still 42 at 6pm. ick!

Hotness has made for an interesting 1st week of school.
Playground duty was absolutely boring today (oh apart from one kid getting his foot stuck at the top of the spiderball), most kids just sat on the verandahs trying to keep cool. I have never seen kids so excited to get back into class (ahhh air conditioning).

 My new kids are fun. I like them already.

On Monday one of my boys realised for the first time that he is left-handed... we were doing a 'human bingo' get to know you activity and everyone was struggling to find a lefty to sign that box. This particular boy was standing there with his pencil in his left hand whining "I can't find anyone who is left-handed!" "um... you are" "Oh really? Is this my left hand?" I love that he's done 4 years of school without knowing that. ha.

I forget every year how much kids don't know at the start of the year. I can't just send them to write an exposition on a given topic... first we need to go through - what a HB pencil is, where 2cm is on the ruler, how to draw a 2cm margin, how to write the long date, where to write it, what's the heading going to be, how big our letters should be, what to do if we make a mistake, how to use the personal dictionaries, oh and what is an exposition!? haha! My 20 minute activity took nearly an hour and a half. But we'll get there! It helps me to realise that I actually do teach them some things over the year. haha.

Ok, time to get some dinner and do some work before my sister comes over!