Reports report (ie How is Sue progressing on her written reports......)
Just the girls middle pages to do - thank heavens! Nearly there.


Last week we had Sports Day!

A couple of days before, we had a practise which involved the children sorting out their 'attention', 'at ease' and 'left right' etc. It also involved them practising where they march to and sit on the field. Unfortunately I (the teacher) was not listening and marched off with the wrong colour! I just wandered off with the yellows (kowhai) instead of reds (whero). Jeez, I didn't know what the heck was going on!

The day itself dawned bright and sunny and I remembered to wear red - including a jaunty red cap. Our team (red) came last and the teacher/parent/children race (of which I partook) also came last! Never mind!

Had a lovely lesson about NZ birds - got a good conversation and Q and A session etc going with the class - getting well into it we were - when a child put her hand up - "Yes!" I asked, waiting for something very useful/procuctive/relevant etc when what did I get? "Miss, my chair smells!" (whilst graphically demonstrating a loud sniff at seat of said object).

I was gobsmacked! Why on earth would you want to sniff a chair? "Don't sniff it then!" came my short retort. Jeeez.

Well, this Saturday, Team 3 teachers (5 of us) visited Western Springs park in the morning to assess it ready for our forthcoming trip re the topic of birds. It was lovely - a really sunny day and birds galore! Here's a few piccies.



Aren't they cute?!!!

Here's a Down Under black swan!

After this little teacher get together, Kev and I dashed off to the Coromandel (Whangamata) again for a night there - a lovely friend at work has a bach there (pronounced batch) and let us use it for the weekend - isn't she great!?

Got there around 3.30, had a wander, got my boogie board (Kiwi pronunciation buggy board) fixed, had a mooch on the beach, collected shells for my card making, did some food shopping, ate a yummy take-away (kumera fries - pwoarahhhh) and drank a bottle of fizz! Fell asleep on the settee. Lovely day!

Next morning we explored a couple of villages either side of Whangamata and decided we'd like a holiday home here too! I LOVE the Coromandel - it's beautiful! We watched the BIG WAVES and surfers (in their wet suits - too cold today - a bit cloudy). However, we still got sunburned faces!

At 4pm ish it was SADLY time to go home - boooooooo.

We took the long arduous drive back to Auckland via the Coromadel Ranges:

About an hour through those rocks in the distance (note the dead insect remains on the windscreen) - majestic, but tedious (the ranges I mean).

Whew! Well we're home now, I've prepared for school tomorrow, I am now writing my blog and there are fireworks shooting around the house EVERYWHERE! So strange that people celebrate Guy Fawkes day here!

Tara fer nooo!

Off I go to bed - maybe I'll write a few reports first? Nahhh.

See yah.

x Sue