Okay, so this hasn't been such a successful undertaking. I honestly don't know how people keep blogs up to date daily!! Perhaps another way in which you are inspirational mum. Well it is again half term and I am all on my lonesome here at Pentrehafod. Aileen was in up until yesterday and we managed to finish most of the work we had to do so today has just been tidying up loose ends. Kinda boring. It is nice to have some space though.
Life in Swansea continues much of the same. The church is doing well although we need some more growth this summer I think in order to really establish ourself in the community. We are doing a community event next weekend - odd jobs for the elderly - so that should alert more people to our presence here. Sunday school has been hit and miss with families coming and going on a fairly regular basis but preparing is always fun. We were doing Elijah and the prophets of Baal last week; a particular favourite with the kids due to the 'exploding cows'... (see 1Kings 18 for the full story!).
James is applying for new jobs at the minute as he is getting weary of Boots. He didn't pass his last driving test so I think that's also unnerved him somewhat as he was counting on Driving Instructing being his ticket out of retail! He'll still qualify at some point, I believe, but it may take him longer than we had expected.
The house is fine, not changed much. I'd like to start doing some bits and pieces to the decor but it seems pointless untill we have all the plug sockets sorted etc. Our plan to start the renovations this summer (ha!) has also been put on hold! Probably unsurprising really as we are usually far too optimistic about time scales. We are hoping to have the monstrous tree in the back yard taken down shortly as it is beginning to creep ominously towards the house.... it is also overtaking the hedge and beginning it annexation of next door's garden....
Haddon is as always. A pain in the arm/leg/hand...
Our plans for the summer are minimal. In June we are down in Surrey for the weekend of the 8th, after that James' parents are coming to visit for the first two weeks of August and then we are going camping in Brecon with the Church on the 17th. After that, James is on his course the last weekend in August and voila we are back in School the first week of September. Amazing really how fast the time goes.
Any how, I've got to go do something now.
Friday, 1 June 2007
Thursday, 29 March 2007
Hello all. I know that many of you have been waiting with baited breath for my next blog update ( well all two of you who read it anyway) so here it is.
Not much to say really.
Tomorrow is the last day of term before the Easter hols which seems incredible. I don't actually get the two weeks off but I do have the Easter long weekend to myself. James is working however so it won't be that much fun. Consequently I have volunteered to dress up as an Easter bunny and hand out eggs to overweight Swansean youngtsers in the town centre. If any of you pass that info along to ANY of my students I'll write you out of my will. Personally I think more chocolate is the last thing they need; carrots would be better but I suppose most of them wouldn't recognise them. I saw a mother feeding a bag of Maltesers to a child in a pram the other day. He wasn't old enough to hold the bag himselfand it was on my way to work at 8:15 in the morning. I just don't understand modern parents. We caught a Year 10 boy on the playing field doing a little dance with his penis out last week in front of a whole gaggle of Year 7 girls and his mother thought it was hilarious and didn't understand why the school was upset about it?! If he had been a year older, he could have been put on the Sex Offenders list. Aileen and I didn't think it so funny, especially when she had to say the word penis to the deputy headmaster and describe his little dance. AHHHHHH. Deep breath Naomi.
Today I'm going on a field trip to Carmarthen Showground for the second part of a military activity that a group of year tens went on a couple of weeks ago. THey did really well and came thrid out of twelve schools so today they are off to the regional final. It's just a bit of fun really but they had a blast!!! Mr Lodwig, the teacher who is going on it, taught in Italy and Portugal at IB schools so it's quite interesting talking with him.
James has done his mock test for his driving exam which is booked for the start of May. HE did reasonably well with only a few minors but as you're only allowed six minors he has stuff to work on. I hope he passes this time. If he does he'll be looking to do his final test this summer (hopefully before our MOT is due as I doubt Milly will pass!! my door and the trunk no longer open and she is being consumed by rust in some unfortunate places!!) He is still at Boots andfrustrated. THey've just started talking about Christmas....
Anyway, that's enough for now.
Not much to say really.
Tomorrow is the last day of term before the Easter hols which seems incredible. I don't actually get the two weeks off but I do have the Easter long weekend to myself. James is working however so it won't be that much fun. Consequently I have volunteered to dress up as an Easter bunny and hand out eggs to overweight Swansean youngtsers in the town centre. If any of you pass that info along to ANY of my students I'll write you out of my will. Personally I think more chocolate is the last thing they need; carrots would be better but I suppose most of them wouldn't recognise them. I saw a mother feeding a bag of Maltesers to a child in a pram the other day. He wasn't old enough to hold the bag himselfand it was on my way to work at 8:15 in the morning. I just don't understand modern parents. We caught a Year 10 boy on the playing field doing a little dance with his penis out last week in front of a whole gaggle of Year 7 girls and his mother thought it was hilarious and didn't understand why the school was upset about it?! If he had been a year older, he could have been put on the Sex Offenders list. Aileen and I didn't think it so funny, especially when she had to say the word penis to the deputy headmaster and describe his little dance. AHHHHHH. Deep breath Naomi.
Today I'm going on a field trip to Carmarthen Showground for the second part of a military activity that a group of year tens went on a couple of weeks ago. THey did really well and came thrid out of twelve schools so today they are off to the regional final. It's just a bit of fun really but they had a blast!!! Mr Lodwig, the teacher who is going on it, taught in Italy and Portugal at IB schools so it's quite interesting talking with him.
James has done his mock test for his driving exam which is booked for the start of May. HE did reasonably well with only a few minors but as you're only allowed six minors he has stuff to work on. I hope he passes this time. If he does he'll be looking to do his final test this summer (hopefully before our MOT is due as I doubt Milly will pass!! my door and the trunk no longer open and she is being consumed by rust in some unfortunate places!!) He is still at Boots andfrustrated. THey've just started talking about Christmas....
Anyway, that's enough for now.
Friday, 16 February 2007
Good morning all! It's the last day before half term today. Hurray!!! Only two days and James and I are off to Rome and we can hardly wait. James is a bit nervous about it I think and he keeps asking me how we'll manage since we don't speak Italian. Bless him. He has no experience of the international language of pointing and gesturing. I'll have to be our translator.... The weather in Rome looks as if it will be okay in the end. Sunday is forecast to have heavy rain but after that it's sunny.
Yesterday and today I've had the opportunity to work in the STF unit at school and it's been great! Such a nice break from the norm! I've actually gotten to teach classes - Yr 7 maths and science, Yr 9, 10 & 11 English yesterday and the same today I think. The year sevens and nines were fun but I began to feel less confident about teaching the older pupils. Nevertheless they were hardworking and polite so what more could I want! A nice way to end my week.
Yesterday and today I've had the opportunity to work in the STF unit at school and it's been great! Such a nice break from the norm! I've actually gotten to teach classes - Yr 7 maths and science, Yr 9, 10 & 11 English yesterday and the same today I think. The year sevens and nines were fun but I began to feel less confident about teaching the older pupils. Nevertheless they were hardworking and polite so what more could I want! A nice way to end my week.
Monday, 5 February 2007
Good morning! Well it's 08.05 am here in Swansea and I'm back at work after a wonderful weekend off. James had Saturday off aswell so we were able to spend sometime together just hanging out. The weather has been beautiful - crisp, cold and bright so I spent sometime in the garden yesterday, not actually gardening but getting a feel for our outdoor space....I found an awful lot of builder's rubbish. I don't have mes trois petits cochons today which makes it a good day! I shouldn't be so harsh on them; one of them was moved to a safe house recently and there's a restraining order against his father. Life isn't fair.
It's only two weeks now till half term and Jim and I jet off to Rome for a week of explorartion and adventure on a shoe string. We're both looking forward to it immensely as it will be our first proper holiday together (awwwww). We just have to find somewhere for el gato to live for a week and we're all set. Speaking of el gato, we took him to the vet on Friday to have his annual booster shot. I'm surprised the vet didn't demand danger money. In the end he had to put Haddon into a crush cage to get the needle into him! It was that or loose his hand. He declined to give him the worming medication but gave us some sachets for his food instead!
Well, I'd better sign off - it's a quater past now and Aileen will kill me if I haven't at least filled the kettle before she arrives. Ah there's nothing like bullying in the work place....
It's only two weeks now till half term and Jim and I jet off to Rome for a week of explorartion and adventure on a shoe string. We're both looking forward to it immensely as it will be our first proper holiday together (awwwww). We just have to find somewhere for el gato to live for a week and we're all set. Speaking of el gato, we took him to the vet on Friday to have his annual booster shot. I'm surprised the vet didn't demand danger money. In the end he had to put Haddon into a crush cage to get the needle into him! It was that or loose his hand. He declined to give him the worming medication but gave us some sachets for his food instead!
Well, I'd better sign off - it's a quater past now and Aileen will kill me if I haven't at least filled the kettle before she arrives. Ah there's nothing like bullying in the work place....
Tuesday, 30 January 2007
My first ramblings...
So here I am. Sitting in a Year 11 French class attempting to aid these youngsters in learning a second language that none of them will ever use....
It makes me wish I had tried harder in French when I was at school and kept it up afterwards aswell! Working at Pentrehafod Comprehensive has been a Godsend in a way, but presents new challenges daily as I struggle to relate to a Swansean adolecense that bears little resemblance to my own teenage years in Aleppo. This is my first blog and I no idea who might want to read it so please excuse the bizarre ramblings that may follow. I'm just writing what comes in to my head.
These Year 11s aren't a bad lot really. They are the brighter ones I suppose, although recently in their French listening exam very few answered any questions correctly. I would like to point out at this point that I don't teach them; I'm covering their lesson this morning. I've already registered a very lively Year Seven group who wore me out just watching them. In comparison these guys are tame. Oh to have the energy of an eleven year old!
Later on I have my regular French class with three Year 9 boys who have been kicked out of their regular lesson because they can't behave properly! To them French is even more irrelevant as two of them can't even read English. Ah well. I guess I had get back to this class...
It makes me wish I had tried harder in French when I was at school and kept it up afterwards aswell! Working at Pentrehafod Comprehensive has been a Godsend in a way, but presents new challenges daily as I struggle to relate to a Swansean adolecense that bears little resemblance to my own teenage years in Aleppo. This is my first blog and I no idea who might want to read it so please excuse the bizarre ramblings that may follow. I'm just writing what comes in to my head.
These Year 11s aren't a bad lot really. They are the brighter ones I suppose, although recently in their French listening exam very few answered any questions correctly. I would like to point out at this point that I don't teach them; I'm covering their lesson this morning. I've already registered a very lively Year Seven group who wore me out just watching them. In comparison these guys are tame. Oh to have the energy of an eleven year old!
Later on I have my regular French class with three Year 9 boys who have been kicked out of their regular lesson because they can't behave properly! To them French is even more irrelevant as two of them can't even read English. Ah well. I guess I had get back to this class...
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