Fantastic break

Great holiday break over past 2 weeks. Time to rest and recreate...had time with my Mum and caught up briefly with some family members in Pukekohe, NZ.

Gathered small self-set kowhai seeds in the bush where I live. Collecting was sheer joy: tui in the tree, sucking nectar from the kowhai flowers, busy little insects all over the leaf litter as I searched for wee plants, wind in my hair...great to be alive.

Trying to grow some seeds...it`ll be fun that is for sure.

The end of Term 3 approaches

Where has the term gone? I start every end-of-term post with that I`m sure. Very full term and of course, time appears to go by with more speed...I loved the term. I loved the young students I worked with...such wonderfuly little creatures, who embrace what comes their way, with much gusto and verve. Mostly boys so they are straight up and as honest as the day is long....or as I have been bemoaning, as honest as the day is short!!!
Bring on the 2 week break. Chance to rest and recharge batteries, do some art work and visit family and friends.

The next chapter in Toe by Toe

Up and running with our next lot of children, to introduce them to Toe by toe, a small step by step programme, structured to teach them to decode, using sounds - short vowels and consonants first. It is something that can help children who struggle with learning to read, because of various reasons - dyslexia, developmental delay and the list may go on.
I`m so excited for them as we have senior students, acting as tutors. Watch this space...I`ll keep you posted!!!

Meet my Mum - Heather Watson

Mrs Heather Watson was born Heather Blakemore,on 28 March, 1924, in Auckland to Ivy Ellen Malin and Claude Costello Blakemore. She had one sister, June and one brother, Boden, both of whom, were younger. She spent the early years of her life, in Wellington, where she was educated at Beramphore Primary school and Wellington Technical College. She played netball for sport and matriculated before leaving school. She met her future husband when mail she was sending to her cousin, inadvertently went to him, in Egypt, during the second world war. On his return in 1945, they met for the first time and after a few months, they were engaged. They married on 26 october, 1946 in Lower Hutt. Ooops!! I forgot to tell you my Dad`s name. Henry William Kennedy Watson, from Taihape. Dad was offered a job in Pukekohe and so they moved there and set up house. Their eldest child, Lynn Heather, was born on 19 June, 1948, Wendy Beth (me), came along on 31 May, 1951, twins Brenda Gay and Bruce Henry on 11 August, 1957 and finally, Neil Brian on 31 December, 1959. For most of their married life, they live in Tuakau. My Dad, Henry William Kennedy Watson, passed, on 15 July, 2003. Heather sold her property in Tuakau and purchased a 2 bed-roomed unit in Pukekohe in April 2006, and she is as happy as a `pig in lettuce`there since. I ring my Mum at 7.00pm each evening to have a chat and a catch-up and to let her know, I love her.
God Bless you Heather, you are a treasure and one of a kind!

Meet the trilogy

Meet Lazzie. Ebony, well-upholstered and shiny. He joined the household back in 2007. He showed himself in the bush and J. fed him and after about 8 months of this, he came inside. Lazzie was originally named Blackie. " How original, " do I hear you say? One morning, when I was on breakfast fatigue, I glanced outside and saw this black shape lying in the garden. I told J. that Blackie was lying in the garden...very, very still. Thinking the worst, I suggested that she go and have a look. I heard, her ask "where in the garden is he?" "Under the tree", said I. After a couple of minutes searching, she yelled out, "that is a piece of black weed mat!" Hence him being renamed, Lazarus....Lazzie for short! The vet estimates that he is about 4 years old.

Lucy, half and half, half tabby and half tortoise-shell, is 16 years old. She was dumped by some lovely thoughtful soul, by the BP pumps at Lake Rotoma, on a cold, very wet May day, back in 1993. Terry, the manager and J. rescued the wee ball of wet fluff and J. dropped her off to me, snug and cozy in bed, because it was the school holidays. We named her Lucy, because of her bowels...very loose. Once she was wormed and cleaned up, she developed into a dear wee kitty. Has always been a home body and is not far from the noise of the shaken whiskas box. She has developed a thyroid problem - overactive, which in turn, has caused a heart murmur. Her back left foot, has an infected claw - hence the plaster on it, in the photo. The vet put a plastic collar on her...which stayed on for about 30 seconds, if that. We are not going to put her on to tablets for her thyroid because she gets so stressed and upset when you try to force anything into her...we will love her and care for her and let her live the rest of her life here, with us, for as long or as short as that maybe. We love Lucy.

Jack, the 8 year old tortoise-shell, makes up the third leg of the tripod! Like all tortoise-shell cats I have known, up close and personal (well, the only other one, the late, great Mister Mister)

he is a delightful, loveable, Barbara Streisand look alike! We got Jack from the SPCA, in late 2001 as a kitten. He bonded with me, as I was off work for the term, but he is more aligned with J. He has so much room, in which to roam and roam he does. Fussy eater and a dirty-stopout, he is gone at daybreak and wanders back, around tea time.

Having so much fun!

I`m having a ball with ICT. REally into this blog and facebook, trying programmes and ideas shared at our ICT cluster.
This means so much to me as I was sooooo reluctant to even have a go and here I am, really bordering on addictive. Still, that is my nature...
It is 1.15 am on a saturday morning and it is me and the cats (no, they are asleep) watching the golf as the cricket is off because of rain...it is hosing down here as well but hey, who cares, I have my computer.

Facebook communication

What I wanted to add about the facebook communication tool is that it gives a quick and easy way to add a thought, make a comment. I love how the natives make comments using the language natives use and the immigrants such as myself, who use formal standard English. Heard Dorothy Burt at a recent ICT conference, and as a teacher and part of decision making team for chn at her school using ICT, they require the chn to use formal, standard English when presenting their work to the global ict public, on their blogs and web tools from school.
Mmmm! The jury is still out on that, but i`m working on it.

Communication via facebook

One week down and another to go!!!

Rellco Magic

What a fantastic day today, at Lynmore School, Rotorua...ICTPD for rellco teachers, principals and some kids. It is fantastic to come together as a learning community to learn about and develop skills in ICT to embed the learning in best teaching practises. Fantastic to catch up with teachers from other schools, past teachers from the school and to network and make new connections.
Thankyou Lorraine.

Jeanne and Fred Biddulph and family...take a bow!

How slow is this? 27 years after research proved that parents and children reading together improved whanau relationships and reading ability in children, Maori education in the ministry has picked up the well-researched and well-proven, programme, Jeanne Biddulph and family have made their life focus! "Thank God, they have", was my comment. At last, more families and whanau will get the opportunities to improve their `lot`! Particularly, here in Rotorua, NZ.
Can`t wait to get started. Even though I teach at a high decile rated school, there will be some very happy folk once we get the programme up and running. Brilliant!
Thankyou so much Biddulph`s, for having the good-old Kiwi, number-8 wire ethos and sticking with it, irrespective of what the ministry thought!!

Go, go, Toe by toe

Kids who have been working on Toe by toe, are moving in their ability to decode. Not accelerated in every case, but, moving noticeably. Congratulations to them for their hard work and also, to their Year 5 and 6 coaches who are enjoying the opportunity to improve their literacy knowledge in working with others.

Bravo 4D Dyslexia foundation

After spending 4 hours at a workshop on Dyslexia run by Britain`s Neil McKay, I am feeling grateful that I had the chance to attend. It was organised by the Dyslexia foundation of NZ - 4D who are getting on with it. Thank goodness.
He gave us some fantastic, usable techniques to work with all children, including those who have dyslexic-like characteristics and ways of thinking.
More to come later.

Go, go ERO

habits of mind, of behaviour, of thinking...

Becoming so entranced with habits of mind...and all that they hold... It`s a little funny though...just found some old school reports and in 1957 in P.4 (work that one out you youngies) I was given a 2 = above average in stability, 1=outstanding in co-operation, 2=independence and 2=perseverance. The following year in S.1 the personal qualities mentioned at the top of the report were, stability of character, co-operation with the group, independence of character, perseverance in the work, neatness and care in working. We got it right in some aspects back then huh?

Great start

I have just realised it`s a sunset!!!
Ha ha!

Back on board (so as to speak)

Just had a really good read of the solo taxonomies....fallen in love with the graphic organisers of Eric Fraggenhiem (spelling??).
Having a great time with learning with the kids about the diversities of these graphic organisers and how they can be used.
Blown away with the presentations of the gifted and talented year 4 students at present. They are working on life of NZders who have faced hard time, followed a passion, worked for others...habits of mind...brilliant.
Well, now i`ve found where to post something, i`ll do it more often.
Carpe diem
Wendy:)

Lorraine's Blog

SUNRISE OF ANOTHER AGE FOR MOI

This truly, is where a picture is worth a thousand words! How appropriate to use this medium

to herald in the dawn of some new learning for moi.

THE WAITING IS OVER!

Crikey! It`s happened! I am becoming a native...does that make me a nat? Oh no, anything but a nat! I really can`t believe that I have made it to ...drum roll please...THE BLOG. I thought more of myself as a CLOG. But no, here I am, blogging!

What can I Blogon about before I Blogoff! Just that I have the best job in the world, working with kids at a school in Rotorua, NZ. It is a job to die for...but don`t put me to the test with that.

Working with any small children with their big minds is a pleasure and so enlightening. I love it! That`s it! I`ve arrived. Like General McArthur mentioned..."I will return!"