Back to School

As some of you might already know, in New Zealand, the school year starts in February. This year, classes started on the 7th, which is the day after Waitangi Day (a national holiday if it falls on a work day). (http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/waitangiday-introduction).

Things at school are slightly different to what Pete has grown used to, after being spoilt for resources at Marchwood Junior School (http://www.marchwood-jun.hants.sch.uk/). Unable to organize his classroom, over the last few weeks, due to Korean language students learning English, Pete decided to go in to school on the weekend. Yes, slightly a changed man!

Feeling sorry for Pete, I offered to come along and help. Knowing that the school has wireless broadband I knew I would not be bored. Pete had already made a start on Friday, but we finished putting the backing paper up, and organizing the desks.

Poor Pete, he has been left with a variety of old school desks, while the classrooms either side have all matching desks. Pete has been told new desks will arrive in the first few weeks of term, and I guess he will get all the new desks. I was actually amazed that desks like this are still being made! And amazed that children are having to sit in the more upmarket type of what the Chappells (see http://chappellfamily.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html) call a B& Q chair.

Willing to impress, and to be better organized, Pete went back into school, on Waitangi Day. Yes, a public holiday and Pete is working. Not sure that such a thing will happen ever again… Anyway, not wanting to be left at home, again I offered to help. What have I done? Well, I made a traffic light! And I was ‘allowed’ to use cardboard letters and spell the following words:

Progress of Pete’s teaching career will be posted in due course, if and when anything interesting occurs!