Seems like I start every blog with the same excuses/apologies about the time between postings. Oh well, better late than never. A lot has happened since the last time we talked so hopefully nothing is forgotten.
This week my students are participating in a Curling Clinic which will culminate in a Bonspiel on Thursday. I have enjoyed the clinics thus far and am thoroughly looking forward to the game this week. Curling has always been one of those sports/activities that I wanted to try. Claire and I both are really enjoying curling on Thursday nights. It's a nice night out with Sawyer at home with the sitter. Unfortunately it has been cancelled on more than one occasion.
We had our Christmas Concert last week and my class performed a skit entitled "This." The skit had a Seinfeld-esque twist where our scene was the students trying to choose their Concert idea. So they badly sang and danced and realized they couldn't do anything except a skit. It had rave reviews and the students had a lot of fun performing it.
Afterwards our principal hosted a Christmas Cheer for the staff. It was fun to get to know some of them outside of the school. One of them was our music/choir worker. He is a semi-writer/semi-pastor from Oxbow but originally from Cape Breton. I found out that night that he went to Acadia and lived in Wolfville from 1986-1991. I commented that I have family from around there and I liked the University town. And for the best part........wait for it.......are you sitting down?..... Aunt Marianne?......he knew Dr. Cherry quite well. For those that have no idea who I am talking about, Dr. Cherry was a Baptist minister from Kentucky who looked and talked like Colonel Sanders. By being on his own he was routinely around my Aunt and Uncle's dinner table on family meals. One of my cousins even lived in apartment at Dr. Cherry's house as well. Needless to say, that five provinces away in a small town of 242, we connected on someone. What a small world!!
Way back when in November, our volleyball team played in the year-end tournament. They played extremely well and ended the round robin in first place. In the championship game they met their match and lost by a score of 25-23, 24-26, and 10-15. Not too bad, considering one of our most experienced players was missing. Oh well, we'll get them next year.
Our little family also pre-celebrated Christmas with Sawyer last Saturday. We figured lugging presents home and then back wouldn't be the most efficient. Sawyer opened her stocking and presents and enjoyed playing with her new presents. It was so cute to watch her open her stocking. She would take something out, look at it intently and then place it on the floor in front of her. She seemed to understand what she was supposed to do with it. She was blessed with a doll, stroller, and a Little People play set (oh and a plastic ball, of course right). We are really looking forward to coming home this weekend. We have a long 12 hour drive on Friday afternoon (staying overnight in Steinbach, MB) and Saturday to Thunder Bay before our flight to Toronto that night.
My time in the classroom has been going well. I continue building relationships with the students and feel that they are enjoying this year. During parent-teacher interviews one parent asked, "Do you walk on water?" Apparently their daughter is REALLY enjoying this year.
We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I guess our New Year's resolution should be to blog more often eh?
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Sunday, November 10, 2013
The Weekend
This weekend we wanted to do something different then we normally do. We had discussed going to Brandon on the weekend and seeing a Wheat Kings hockey game and doing a little shopping. On Friday we decided last minute that we weren't going to go to Brandon and instead we were going to spend some time in Estevan.
We started our trip by going to Walmart and picking up a few odds and ends. We then went to the aquatic centre and toured around it a bit. It is pretty large. There was a library, a large ice rink, and a track around the rink, a gym and then the pool.
The pool was very nice (a little cold for adults though :) ). It had a large slide, hot tub and an area for little kids to play. There was a thing that filled buckets up with water that dumped on your heads, a little slide for little kids and lots of toys. Sawyer LOVED it!!!! In fact she was really upset when we had to leave.
As we were leaving we saw one of Greg's students. We also happen to attend the same church as this student and his family. He was there watching his sister play hockey. She is on the Estevan double A girls hockey team. This boys sister has been a great help with Sawyer at church and she is going to help us out with babysitting on Thursday nights while Greg and I curl. It was nice to watch some hockey and we look forward to going to watch another time.
Today we went church and then had a nice relaxing time at home. We all had a nap today which was really nice and much needed.
Well I hope everyone else had an equally nice weekend.
We started our trip by going to Walmart and picking up a few odds and ends. We then went to the aquatic centre and toured around it a bit. It is pretty large. There was a library, a large ice rink, and a track around the rink, a gym and then the pool.
The pool was very nice (a little cold for adults though :) ). It had a large slide, hot tub and an area for little kids to play. There was a thing that filled buckets up with water that dumped on your heads, a little slide for little kids and lots of toys. Sawyer LOVED it!!!! In fact she was really upset when we had to leave.
As we were leaving we saw one of Greg's students. We also happen to attend the same church as this student and his family. He was there watching his sister play hockey. She is on the Estevan double A girls hockey team. This boys sister has been a great help with Sawyer at church and she is going to help us out with babysitting on Thursday nights while Greg and I curl. It was nice to watch some hockey and we look forward to going to watch another time.
Today we went church and then had a nice relaxing time at home. We all had a nap today which was really nice and much needed.
Well I hope everyone else had an equally nice weekend.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Pumpkin Carving
With living in Carievale, we have had the opportunity to do some things that we have not been able to do in a few years. One of those things was carving a pumpkin. I was super excited about getting a pumpkin and carving it and watching Sawyer experience the whole pumpkin carving experience. Greg was an excellent picture taker as we enjoyed feeling the pumpkin "guts". Sawyer was not 100% sure about the pumpkin insides and seemed to be more interested at putting the guts back in the pumpkin that I had already taken out.
All in all we enjoyed our pumpkin carving experience. Sawyer was not happy in the end when I put the pumpkin back outside. She liked it so much she wanted to keep playing with it. I think I will put a light in it on Halloween and show her how it glows.
We are not taking Sawyer out trick or treating this year. We will probably go out next year. We felt she was to young to go out and does not eat candy so it was pointless. I know that we could eat the candy but our waist lines hardly need that.
We hope you have all enjoyed your weekend and are gearing up for this next week.
She seemed very into the pumpkin carving experience.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
At the Movies
It has been a relaxing weekend. We had a chance to go to the Carnduff Theatre on Friday night with another couple and saw The Butler. It was so refreshing being able to "go out" as we haven't been able to do that the last three years. We did find a lack of babysitters (we have a surplus back home with all the family members all queued up) here though. With it being rural there aren't many people nearby and many of those who are able can't afford the pay cut (the allowances out here are ridiculous). The theatre was pretty amazing. It is a converted church from way back that recently purchased a digital projector. Tickets are $6 with popcorn only $2. Not bad for a date night.
Saturday we travelled into Estevan for our weekly grocery and city experiences. At night I went to Carievale's Hoedown. It is a fundraising event to support the local arena, riding area, ball park, and hall. It consisted of around 100 silent auction items that have been donated by local businesses and families. Some were small (pies, baked goods, etc.) while others were a lot larger (Apple TV, brand new chainsaws, $500 Spa gift certificate, etc.). Needless to say they were all out of my price range, as the pies were at $50 when I had left.
Claire has been getting opportunities at Carnduff School recently which has worked out. It is a much larger school, which includes a high school. She has enjoyed working there and subbing all around. She doesn't have to mark or plan, so who wouldn't. I like her only subbing too, because I can still rely on her to help out marking sometimes too.
Saturday we travelled into Estevan for our weekly grocery and city experiences. At night I went to Carievale's Hoedown. It is a fundraising event to support the local arena, riding area, ball park, and hall. It consisted of around 100 silent auction items that have been donated by local businesses and families. Some were small (pies, baked goods, etc.) while others were a lot larger (Apple TV, brand new chainsaws, $500 Spa gift certificate, etc.). Needless to say they were all out of my price range, as the pies were at $50 when I had left.
Claire has been getting opportunities at Carnduff School recently which has worked out. It is a much larger school, which includes a high school. She has enjoyed working there and subbing all around. She doesn't have to mark or plan, so who wouldn't. I like her only subbing too, because I can still rely on her to help out marking sometimes too.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Where SMART is spelled with an R
Another installment that seems much too late. Unfortunately there will be no new pictures today. I would love to show some from my school, but I am more cognizant of putting my students' faces on the internet.
We are absolutely loving it out here! The community, house, and work all feel like home. We are obviously missing loved ones back home, but for right now, this is where we are supposed to be. I have 25 students (11 Grade 6, 11 Grade 7, and 3 Grade 8 students). The automatic respect for staff, each other, and most importantly self is much more evident. Most of the students want to learn and achieve high marks. I am also learning Saskatchewan's educational practices as some things are drastically different. For example, no marks are given for assignments or assessments. Instead a MABEI scale is given out. Meeting, Approaching, Beginning, Experiencing difficulties, and Insufficient Evidence. Instead of handing out 9/10s or C+, students receive one of the 5 letters. As well, each outcome is assessed. As an example, Math has 14 outcomes for the year. By the end of the grade, each outcome will have been assessed. In Ontario, Math has five strands and students are given broad assessment results each term. All in all, it is very quick and provides a more accurate picture of all aspects of learning. The one area that has been heavily criticized is that nothing denotes work or learning above expectation. Meeting is the highest achievement the student can achieve.
Our home life is becoming more settled. Almost all of rooms have been painted and we have attempted to personalize each area. Claire, after three long years of waiting, finally has her scrapbooking area set up (*sorry Dad about not bringing the desk out yet). Edgar has been loving our fenced in backyard. We have also finally purchased and picked up our new vehicle. We now own a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. It is a very nice vehicle and we are pleased at our purchase.
As mentioned, I do not have any photos, but I can share a few stories from the first month. One of my students is bright, and I don't mean just, "she writes neat and knows her multiplication table." My first day I had the students think of questions they wanted to ask. Most thought, "What is your favourite subject?/How old are you?" But this girl asked, "Do you consider yourself to be an organized person?" Word for word. Who talks like that? A few weeks later, during our Questioning Unit, I had the students think of three random questions. After collecting them and typing them up I randomly handed them back out for the students to find its answers and complete a short presentation on their findings. Again, most asked, "Why is the sky blue?/When was the first hockey game?/Why is grass green?" Instead this girl inquired, "Why are there wars when nations can just peacefully talk?/Why in a world of technological advancements, are people still dying from ordinary things?"
I would love to post this picture, but it is what it is. There is a young student named Gunner who wears a western outfit on a routine basis. He isn't the only one as many students regularly wear cowboy boots with spurs, cowboy hats and jeans to school on a daily basis. This particular student has several shirts that remind me of old pictures/movies from the 70s. He wears them as they were designed too, with the first two/three buttons undone.
One of the new opportunities this position has for me is to coach a school team. With our small school size there are not a lot of team opportunities, but I have volunteered to be the Girls Volleyball coach. Just like everything else, I am loving it. Working with the girls has been an excellent way to connect with them, as well as with their parents. On a bit of a selfish note too, I am feeling more at home being connected with competitive sports again. It has definitely been too long.
Until another day, Goodnight and Goodluck.
We are absolutely loving it out here! The community, house, and work all feel like home. We are obviously missing loved ones back home, but for right now, this is where we are supposed to be. I have 25 students (11 Grade 6, 11 Grade 7, and 3 Grade 8 students). The automatic respect for staff, each other, and most importantly self is much more evident. Most of the students want to learn and achieve high marks. I am also learning Saskatchewan's educational practices as some things are drastically different. For example, no marks are given for assignments or assessments. Instead a MABEI scale is given out. Meeting, Approaching, Beginning, Experiencing difficulties, and Insufficient Evidence. Instead of handing out 9/10s or C+, students receive one of the 5 letters. As well, each outcome is assessed. As an example, Math has 14 outcomes for the year. By the end of the grade, each outcome will have been assessed. In Ontario, Math has five strands and students are given broad assessment results each term. All in all, it is very quick and provides a more accurate picture of all aspects of learning. The one area that has been heavily criticized is that nothing denotes work or learning above expectation. Meeting is the highest achievement the student can achieve.
Our home life is becoming more settled. Almost all of rooms have been painted and we have attempted to personalize each area. Claire, after three long years of waiting, finally has her scrapbooking area set up (*sorry Dad about not bringing the desk out yet). Edgar has been loving our fenced in backyard. We have also finally purchased and picked up our new vehicle. We now own a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. It is a very nice vehicle and we are pleased at our purchase.
As mentioned, I do not have any photos, but I can share a few stories from the first month. One of my students is bright, and I don't mean just, "she writes neat and knows her multiplication table." My first day I had the students think of questions they wanted to ask. Most thought, "What is your favourite subject?/How old are you?" But this girl asked, "Do you consider yourself to be an organized person?" Word for word. Who talks like that? A few weeks later, during our Questioning Unit, I had the students think of three random questions. After collecting them and typing them up I randomly handed them back out for the students to find its answers and complete a short presentation on their findings. Again, most asked, "Why is the sky blue?/When was the first hockey game?/Why is grass green?" Instead this girl inquired, "Why are there wars when nations can just peacefully talk?/Why in a world of technological advancements, are people still dying from ordinary things?"
I would love to post this picture, but it is what it is. There is a young student named Gunner who wears a western outfit on a routine basis. He isn't the only one as many students regularly wear cowboy boots with spurs, cowboy hats and jeans to school on a daily basis. This particular student has several shirts that remind me of old pictures/movies from the 70s. He wears them as they were designed too, with the first two/three buttons undone.
One of the new opportunities this position has for me is to coach a school team. With our small school size there are not a lot of team opportunities, but I have volunteered to be the Girls Volleyball coach. Just like everything else, I am loving it. Working with the girls has been an excellent way to connect with them, as well as with their parents. On a bit of a selfish note too, I am feeling more at home being connected with competitive sports again. It has definitely been too long.
Until another day, Goodnight and Goodluck.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Carievale, Saskatchewan
Not to much new to report here. We went for a walk tonight and took some pictures of the town so everyone could visualize where we are living.
This is a picture of the two churches in town. The one on the right is a United church and the one on the left is an Anglican church.
This is the school. It is small, but Greg loves it. We can see the school from our house as it is at the very end of the street.
This is one of the two grain elevators in town.
This is a picture of the main street in town. There two grain elevators on it and a few businesses. Unfortunately, a lot of businesses have closed.
This is the sign the train sees as they enter Carievale. The train comes through a few times a day. Love hearing stuff go on in town.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
School
Well it is about time that I posted something about my new experiences at school. I am absolutely loving everything about it. The students are great and the staff are very welcoming, even though there is only 10 of us (including secretary and EAs). It has been really refreshing to get into this school and work in a different setting.
As for the community, we are really loving it too. Everyone is friendly and has made sure we feel welcome here. We have enjoyed going to church and meeting all 30 attendees. Claire, along with another woman, will be running the Bible Story time for the children's program this year.
A bit of exciting news...we are officially Saskatchewan residents. We went and surrendered our Ontario licences and purchased Saskatchewan plates and insurance. For those that don't know Saskatchewan has public insurance, SGI. In all, our insurance and yearly sticker cost just below $90/month for our Pontiac Pursuit. Not bad considering I was at 100% fault when we got into our accident in Winnipeg.
Well there are no pictures today, but we are going to take some photos this weekend and post them at some point.
As for the community, we are really loving it too. Everyone is friendly and has made sure we feel welcome here. We have enjoyed going to church and meeting all 30 attendees. Claire, along with another woman, will be running the Bible Story time for the children's program this year.
A bit of exciting news...we are officially Saskatchewan residents. We went and surrendered our Ontario licences and purchased Saskatchewan plates and insurance. For those that don't know Saskatchewan has public insurance, SGI. In all, our insurance and yearly sticker cost just below $90/month for our Pontiac Pursuit. Not bad considering I was at 100% fault when we got into our accident in Winnipeg.
Well there are no pictures today, but we are going to take some photos this weekend and post them at some point.
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