Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Charities Afternoon: The Thanksgiving Challenge!
Part of the Fulbright Experience is to share cultural traditions, in addition to educational experiences. Part of this sharing and exchange process is also meant to culminate in sharing experiences with our school communities once the partners return home. Yesterday was a hole-in-one!
One of the best traditions from America, which is somewhat directly connected to our English ancestors, is the celebration of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in the month of November. It stems from the harsh realities of a New England winter for the Pilgrims and the aid they received from the Native American Indians, specifically the Wampanoag tribe and their adopted brother Squanto. It was a joint celebration of the harvest and the friendship that developed between the Pilgrims, who left England with permission of King James I in search of a place to worship freely and establish their own colony in the New World. They set forth on their way aboard the Mayflower with 102 passengers; in the end only half survived both the journey and the first hard year of settlement. They landed far north of the first settlement in Jamestown, on what is now known as Cape Cod in Massachusetts, and established the first colony known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony and settled in what is now known as Plymouth. Plimouth Plantation, (not a typo, as that is the traditional English spelling) on Cape Cod is a working village which celebrates the original life of the Pilgrims. It also had once served as an Indian settlement. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated on 1621. It was first encouraged to be celebrated nationwide by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 as a way to unify the country. In 1941 it became an official federal holiday. Schools typically have a half holiday on Wednesday afternoon through the entire weekend. Officially known as Thanksgiving Break... please note: I will be working on Thanksgiving Day this year! However, a wonderful family has offered to host a very large Thanksgiving Dinner next week, so I am very much looking forward to it when school is dismissed for the afternoon. Instead of a football game, I will attend a basketball game and then feast on turkey!
This holiday has always been one of my favorite, not the least reason being that I was actually born on a Thanksgiving Thursday! It is fitting, being a native New Englander, that this would be a culturally rich tradition that I would seek to share with students and staff from Fairfield. Not many of these students were familiar with Thanksgiving, so Mel and I decided that we would use "Charities Afternoon" to introduce two house groups of Year 11 students to the experience of feasting on turkey,mashed potatoes, corn, peas, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie and apple pie & ice cream! (Usually, people here do not eat turkey until Christmas, but there were af few whole, frozen birds to be found.) The students also watched several videos, courtesy of United Streaming - a resource I have been very happy to have at my disposal on this exchange,as my full bag of tricks is safely abiding in a cabinet in a classroom back home - which taught them about the history of Thanksgiving, the traditions and foods involved from the first Thanksgiving to the present day, and also an animated feature on Squanto and Governor William Bradford. Students also made their own turkey craft and colored cornucopias pictures. It was a pretty fun time. It also was typical of many Thanksgiving dinners - from arguing relatives, food that was gobbled far too quickly in relation to the preparation for such dinner, loud dinner talk, overstuffed bellies, and a giant mess to clean up afterwards! The only thing lacking was a good American football game to watch on the telly!
Charities Afternoon is a tradition at Fairfield. It involves a full day of students wearing their street clothes - no uniforms- but they must pay one pound to have the privilege of doing so. This also raises money for the various charities that benefit from the afternoon activities. For the first time I almost felt like I was in an American high school - with all the kids dressed to match their personalities. After lunch, students are taken off timetable and are put into house groups, by year (form groups) and they are guided by faculty in some fun activity, for which they have raised money from sponsors to be donated to various local charities - hence the name of the day. I like the concept of this day, and it reminded me a bit of the full weekend of activities put together by the National Honor Society at NHS last year when they were raising money and locked in themselves in the field house for the 30 Hour Famine. There was no fasting involved, but it was all in the name of charity.
With the turkeys roasting in the ovens and Mel peeling all the potatoes (sorry about that Mel) - I joined the Fairfield female faculty in a traditional British game of Netball vs Fairfield girls. This is a sport played by only girls in this country. (They don't have any laws here requiring matching girls and boys sports.) It is a game somewhat similar to basketball. It is played 7 on 7 - there are only certain areas of the court (divided into thirds) that certain positions can play in. Only two people on each team are designated as shooters and the nets are about the height of regulation basketball nets, but do not have backboards. It is a fast paced game, as you only have three seconds to pass the ball, no further than one third of the court. There is no dribbling and no running with ball. You are allowed only one step on a pivot foot, or can throw the ball while you are still in the air. Defenders are allowed only to be within one meter of the person with the ball, allowing for room for a person to run in between a defender and a teammate in order to get the ball.
The rain let up, Ellie swept the water off the court and the teams gathered during the lunch hour. The faculty ladies blew the trousers off the girls,with a score of 7-2. Somehow I ended up being a designated shooter, and for a rookie, did not play too badly- scoring 2 of the seven shots. We also played short handed for 1/2 the game, and then recruited an injured Year 10 student to help us out...we still won! It was great fun! It is also a game I would be interested in bringing back to NHS - even if only as a physical education activity, an intramural sport or a spirit day activity- it will be a piece of England to bring home.
I think that the concept of Charities Afternoon would work well back home at NHS, as community service projects are part of the fabric of our school culture - and it is a way to ensure participation by the entire school. There were very few students who could not participate because they had not raised the minimal amount of donations required - which was 3 pounds per student.
It was a really fun afternoon and I enjoyed sharing a bit of home with all the students!
One of the best traditions from America, which is somewhat directly connected to our English ancestors, is the celebration of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in the month of November. It stems from the harsh realities of a New England winter for the Pilgrims and the aid they received from the Native American Indians, specifically the Wampanoag tribe and their adopted brother Squanto. It was a joint celebration of the harvest and the friendship that developed between the Pilgrims, who left England with permission of King James I in search of a place to worship freely and establish their own colony in the New World. They set forth on their way aboard the Mayflower with 102 passengers; in the end only half survived both the journey and the first hard year of settlement. They landed far north of the first settlement in Jamestown, on what is now known as Cape Cod in Massachusetts, and established the first colony known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony and settled in what is now known as Plymouth. Plimouth Plantation, (not a typo, as that is the traditional English spelling) on Cape Cod is a working village which celebrates the original life of the Pilgrims. It also had once served as an Indian settlement. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated on 1621. It was first encouraged to be celebrated nationwide by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 as a way to unify the country. In 1941 it became an official federal holiday. Schools typically have a half holiday on Wednesday afternoon through the entire weekend. Officially known as Thanksgiving Break... please note: I will be working on Thanksgiving Day this year! However, a wonderful family has offered to host a very large Thanksgiving Dinner next week, so I am very much looking forward to it when school is dismissed for the afternoon. Instead of a football game, I will attend a basketball game and then feast on turkey!
This holiday has always been one of my favorite, not the least reason being that I was actually born on a Thanksgiving Thursday! It is fitting, being a native New Englander, that this would be a culturally rich tradition that I would seek to share with students and staff from Fairfield. Not many of these students were familiar with Thanksgiving, so Mel and I decided that we would use "Charities Afternoon" to introduce two house groups of Year 11 students to the experience of feasting on turkey,mashed potatoes, corn, peas, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie and apple pie & ice cream! (Usually, people here do not eat turkey until Christmas, but there were af few whole, frozen birds to be found.) The students also watched several videos, courtesy of United Streaming - a resource I have been very happy to have at my disposal on this exchange,as my full bag of tricks is safely abiding in a cabinet in a classroom back home - which taught them about the history of Thanksgiving, the traditions and foods involved from the first Thanksgiving to the present day, and also an animated feature on Squanto and Governor William Bradford. Students also made their own turkey craft and colored cornucopias pictures. It was a pretty fun time. It also was typical of many Thanksgiving dinners - from arguing relatives, food that was gobbled far too quickly in relation to the preparation for such dinner, loud dinner talk, overstuffed bellies, and a giant mess to clean up afterwards! The only thing lacking was a good American football game to watch on the telly!
Charities Afternoon is a tradition at Fairfield. It involves a full day of students wearing their street clothes - no uniforms- but they must pay one pound to have the privilege of doing so. This also raises money for the various charities that benefit from the afternoon activities. For the first time I almost felt like I was in an American high school - with all the kids dressed to match their personalities. After lunch, students are taken off timetable and are put into house groups, by year (form groups) and they are guided by faculty in some fun activity, for which they have raised money from sponsors to be donated to various local charities - hence the name of the day. I like the concept of this day, and it reminded me a bit of the full weekend of activities put together by the National Honor Society at NHS last year when they were raising money and locked in themselves in the field house for the 30 Hour Famine. There was no fasting involved, but it was all in the name of charity.
With the turkeys roasting in the ovens and Mel peeling all the potatoes (sorry about that Mel) - I joined the Fairfield female faculty in a traditional British game of Netball vs Fairfield girls. This is a sport played by only girls in this country. (They don't have any laws here requiring matching girls and boys sports.) It is a game somewhat similar to basketball. It is played 7 on 7 - there are only certain areas of the court (divided into thirds) that certain positions can play in. Only two people on each team are designated as shooters and the nets are about the height of regulation basketball nets, but do not have backboards. It is a fast paced game, as you only have three seconds to pass the ball, no further than one third of the court. There is no dribbling and no running with ball. You are allowed only one step on a pivot foot, or can throw the ball while you are still in the air. Defenders are allowed only to be within one meter of the person with the ball, allowing for room for a person to run in between a defender and a teammate in order to get the ball.
The rain let up, Ellie swept the water off the court and the teams gathered during the lunch hour. The faculty ladies blew the trousers off the girls,with a score of 7-2. Somehow I ended up being a designated shooter, and for a rookie, did not play too badly- scoring 2 of the seven shots. We also played short handed for 1/2 the game, and then recruited an injured Year 10 student to help us out...we still won! It was great fun! It is also a game I would be interested in bringing back to NHS - even if only as a physical education activity, an intramural sport or a spirit day activity- it will be a piece of England to bring home.
I think that the concept of Charities Afternoon would work well back home at NHS, as community service projects are part of the fabric of our school culture - and it is a way to ensure participation by the entire school. There were very few students who could not participate because they had not raised the minimal amount of donations required - which was 3 pounds per student.
It was a really fun afternoon and I enjoyed sharing a bit of home with all the students!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Writing Class Sonnets: Here & There
One activity that both my colleague, Matt Reilly, and I do when teaching our sophomores at NHS about sonnets, is to write "class sonnets". Several years ago Matt introduced this idea to me and since then both of us guide our full, individual classes into creating class sonnets - usually a parody of a Shakespeare sonnet. I have started keeping a record of these sonnets and a very funny collection is starting to take shape.
This week, during a lesson on sonnets with my Year 8 students at Fairfield I decided to try this same activity. At first, I divided the class into small groups of five, mixed boy and girl groups, and directed them to try to create their own. They were instructed to do the best they could to keep to the iambic pentameter rhythm of a sonnet, but more importantly they should follow the rhyme scheme. I opted for the small group, rather than the full class group, as emphasis is placed on cooperative learning in small groups of mixed genders and abilities. This task, however, proved too difficult for this set up, coupled with the fact that these students are three years younger than the students at home - so I returned to the first philosophy of the large, whole class group.
I decided to give them the first line - a similar one to that used by one group of students from home. I wanted to see if any similarities would arise from the two groups. From there the ideas flew around the room, and as we repeated the lines out loud we eventually were able to edit the sonnet to a pretty close rendition of iambic pentameter and a correct English sonnet rhyme scheme - complete with rhyming couplet. As with any piece of writing, editing can always improve it, but neither are bad for a first try in a short lesson. Below you will read a Year 8 Monnow original sonnet, and a sonnet written by a group of 2008 Year 10 students at NHS, who happen to be Seniors this year- some of them may recognize their work.
Fairfield Year 8 Monnow 2009
Shall I compare thee to a pair of smelly trainers*?
Thou art more stinky and more horrible.
Your rough worn soles do pierce large containers.
Oh, get far from me, thou art so intol'r'ble.
Sometimes too sweaty; sprinting far from you.
Oft your odors worship in the temple of my nose.
If to heaven I with you go, I'd smell eternal poo.
You ne'er will e'er smell of a red, red, rose.
Although thy eternal stench shall not fade
Ne'er the rubbish bin shall you go in.
Etern'lly thankful, I am, you were made.
To throw you away would sure be a sin.
So long as you don't choke my healthy lung
I shan't wheeze or sneeze, nor toss you in the dung.
Period 5 2008 Sophomores
Shall I compare you to a pair of gym socks?
Thou art more lovely and more putrid.
Rough feet are calloused, flaked and hard as rocks
And season's scent is much too hard to rid.
Somtimes too much a toe doth show from holes
And oft the nails do seem untrimm'd,
And every hair and mole do cover o'er the soles;
In their own moist sweat the soles doth swim'd.
But thy eternal scent shall never fade,
Nor lose possession of thy fungi stump,
Nor shall detergent's scent obeyed
As thy forever do remain amid the gym bag dump.
So long as sports are played and socks are worn
So long live gym socks; sweaty, disgusting and torn.
*smelly trainers = smelly sneakers!
This week, during a lesson on sonnets with my Year 8 students at Fairfield I decided to try this same activity. At first, I divided the class into small groups of five, mixed boy and girl groups, and directed them to try to create their own. They were instructed to do the best they could to keep to the iambic pentameter rhythm of a sonnet, but more importantly they should follow the rhyme scheme. I opted for the small group, rather than the full class group, as emphasis is placed on cooperative learning in small groups of mixed genders and abilities. This task, however, proved too difficult for this set up, coupled with the fact that these students are three years younger than the students at home - so I returned to the first philosophy of the large, whole class group.
I decided to give them the first line - a similar one to that used by one group of students from home. I wanted to see if any similarities would arise from the two groups. From there the ideas flew around the room, and as we repeated the lines out loud we eventually were able to edit the sonnet to a pretty close rendition of iambic pentameter and a correct English sonnet rhyme scheme - complete with rhyming couplet. As with any piece of writing, editing can always improve it, but neither are bad for a first try in a short lesson. Below you will read a Year 8 Monnow original sonnet, and a sonnet written by a group of 2008 Year 10 students at NHS, who happen to be Seniors this year- some of them may recognize their work.
Fairfield Year 8 Monnow 2009
Shall I compare thee to a pair of smelly trainers*?
Thou art more stinky and more horrible.
Your rough worn soles do pierce large containers.
Oh, get far from me, thou art so intol'r'ble.
Sometimes too sweaty; sprinting far from you.
Oft your odors worship in the temple of my nose.
If to heaven I with you go, I'd smell eternal poo.
You ne'er will e'er smell of a red, red, rose.
Although thy eternal stench shall not fade
Ne'er the rubbish bin shall you go in.
Etern'lly thankful, I am, you were made.
To throw you away would sure be a sin.
So long as you don't choke my healthy lung
I shan't wheeze or sneeze, nor toss you in the dung.
Period 5 2008 Sophomores
Shall I compare you to a pair of gym socks?
Thou art more lovely and more putrid.
Rough feet are calloused, flaked and hard as rocks
And season's scent is much too hard to rid.
Somtimes too much a toe doth show from holes
And oft the nails do seem untrimm'd,
And every hair and mole do cover o'er the soles;
In their own moist sweat the soles doth swim'd.
But thy eternal scent shall never fade,
Nor lose possession of thy fungi stump,
Nor shall detergent's scent obeyed
As thy forever do remain amid the gym bag dump.
So long as sports are played and socks are worn
So long live gym socks; sweaty, disgusting and torn.
*smelly trainers = smelly sneakers!
Reading in the Graveyard...
Yesterday I took my small class of five Year 10 students to the nearby Peterchurch graveyard to read the first chapter of Great Expectations. It was a brilliant idea, if I do admit it. From the first time I stepped foot in this graveyard I could not help but picture a "small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all" in the character of Pip.
The whipping wind,the damp, cold air, the wet ground, the squawking crows, the briers, nettles and mud we trudged through on the way to the graveyard, all helped provide a 3D experience that could not have been realized in the classroom. Surrounded by tombstones covered in moss, brought Pip's story to life. We practiced deciphering who these buried people might be and what we could learn about them from their tombstones, like Pip does with his father - assuming a square and stout man due to the shape of his tombstone.
The eerie atmosphere and the vulnerability of a young child frightened by a man all "dressed in coarse gray" could truly be experienced by sitting in the graveyard and reading this story...another successful experiment!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
A Weekend in Bath: Just for Girls!
I didn't think that I could top my visit to Stratford-Upon-Avon... but my visit to the lovely city of Bath, with my department head, mentor and friend, Jayne Conway, has proven to be the highlight of my visit here to date. Trips to London aside, the female company of a fabulous woman, who enjoyed all the experiences on this trip for the first time alongside me, was great! Thank you so much Jayne for treating me to a lovely overnight stay in such a marvelous city.
Despite having been to Bath before, Jayne has always found herself with her husband and son in tow, so has never had the chance to experience the Roman Baths and the other museums we visited on this trip...so I am so glad I could experience this with her....although my good friend and mentor Nancy Sweeney, back at home in Northbridge, was always at the forefront of my mind as I toured this marvelous city. Nancy is our much beloved and treasured Latin teacher and is also the respected matriarch of the district. She too would have loved to see this wonderful Roman architectural and cultural masterpiece.
The day began with a warning on the BBC news that the stormy weather, wind and rain hitting the UK should be heeded by residents and it was suggested that all day trips be cancelled as the traveling could prove hazardous. Ha.... as Jayne said, "if you heeded all these things in this country you'd never go anywhere" and off we went. The traveling was fine, actually and we managed to arrive at our hotel without incident. Thankfully I had grabbed my fashionable Wellies, as the rain pelted us during our initial exploration of the city.
Our first stop was a cafe for a cuppa and then we proceeded to the Roman Baths. Thankfully, an indoor exhibit for the most part. We grabbed our audio guide and off we went. The tour of this Roman complex - encompassing the fully excavated main bath area, temple, altar and courtyard was magnificently explained on the audio guide, allowing each individual tourist to proceed throughout the museum at their own pace. The artifacts, temple and wall reconstructions using pieces of excavated columns, and figures allowed me to picture how an authentic Roman would have lived.
There were pieces of the exhibit, such as the gems recovered from the drainage systems when excavated that were particularly poignant. It brought home the age of these magnificent structures and also the idea that a young woman may have gotten up from the waters of the bath, looked at the hand only to realize that perhaps the gemstone in a ring given her by a lover was now lost. Each gem had an owner, with a life and story...what must they be?
Our next venture in the rain found us headed to the Fashion Museum and Assembly Rooms. Unfortunately the Assembly Rooms were closed for a private wedding. These rooms were large, grandiose ball rooms used for entertainment in the 18th and 19th century by the rich. There would be balls, gambling and other forms of entertainment where people would gather after their evening supper. The Fashion Museum was well worth the trip - and trying on corsets and crinolines gave both Jane and I a good laugh...something Micaela would have never participated in and would have only classified as "dorkiness." It was good to know that I was with a woman who braved the dress up experience! Quite fun!
Dinner for the evening found us in the Indian Eye - billed as the most authentic Indian food in the city, frequented by the likes of Jane Seymour and the cast of the East Enders - it provided a great venue for my first venture into authentic Indian food. Yummy!!!
On Sunday the sun shone brightly in the sky and seeing Bath by sunlight was a different experience altogether...while no less lovely in the rain, it was nice not to venture forth bundled in coats and Wellies!
This day found us back at the Circus and the Crescent; two architectural structures designed for the wealthiest citizens of Bath in the 18th and 19th centuries. We were able to enter Number One Crescent - an authentically restored regency period townhouse. It was lovely. We also learned that only the facade was designed by the architect John Wood, all the homes behind the facade were individually contracted builds and all are unique and different.
We then ventured to the Jane Austen Center where Jayne and I learned more about one of our mutual favorite authors. On the tour one learns that Miss Austen was not a particular fan of Bath, preferring the quiet of the countryside to the bustle and pretentiousness of the city. She lived in Bath during a time in her life where she and her mother and sister were at the mercy of of the generosity of her brothers to care for them. During their time in Bath they were progressively moving down the hill to the inner areas of the town, as their financial situation dictated. Considering she only lived here for a short five years of her life, they have capitalized on her later fame.
Our time in Bath went all too quickly, and like most other places I have visited, more time was needed to soak it all in, but it will be one I will not soon forget...and hopefully someday I will come back, next time with Nancy, and experience it all again!
Despite having been to Bath before, Jayne has always found herself with her husband and son in tow, so has never had the chance to experience the Roman Baths and the other museums we visited on this trip...so I am so glad I could experience this with her....although my good friend and mentor Nancy Sweeney, back at home in Northbridge, was always at the forefront of my mind as I toured this marvelous city. Nancy is our much beloved and treasured Latin teacher and is also the respected matriarch of the district. She too would have loved to see this wonderful Roman architectural and cultural masterpiece.
The day began with a warning on the BBC news that the stormy weather, wind and rain hitting the UK should be heeded by residents and it was suggested that all day trips be cancelled as the traveling could prove hazardous. Ha.... as Jayne said, "if you heeded all these things in this country you'd never go anywhere" and off we went. The traveling was fine, actually and we managed to arrive at our hotel without incident. Thankfully I had grabbed my fashionable Wellies, as the rain pelted us during our initial exploration of the city.
Our first stop was a cafe for a cuppa and then we proceeded to the Roman Baths. Thankfully, an indoor exhibit for the most part. We grabbed our audio guide and off we went. The tour of this Roman complex - encompassing the fully excavated main bath area, temple, altar and courtyard was magnificently explained on the audio guide, allowing each individual tourist to proceed throughout the museum at their own pace. The artifacts, temple and wall reconstructions using pieces of excavated columns, and figures allowed me to picture how an authentic Roman would have lived.
There were pieces of the exhibit, such as the gems recovered from the drainage systems when excavated that were particularly poignant. It brought home the age of these magnificent structures and also the idea that a young woman may have gotten up from the waters of the bath, looked at the hand only to realize that perhaps the gemstone in a ring given her by a lover was now lost. Each gem had an owner, with a life and story...what must they be?
Our next venture in the rain found us headed to the Fashion Museum and Assembly Rooms. Unfortunately the Assembly Rooms were closed for a private wedding. These rooms were large, grandiose ball rooms used for entertainment in the 18th and 19th century by the rich. There would be balls, gambling and other forms of entertainment where people would gather after their evening supper. The Fashion Museum was well worth the trip - and trying on corsets and crinolines gave both Jane and I a good laugh...something Micaela would have never participated in and would have only classified as "dorkiness." It was good to know that I was with a woman who braved the dress up experience! Quite fun!
Dinner for the evening found us in the Indian Eye - billed as the most authentic Indian food in the city, frequented by the likes of Jane Seymour and the cast of the East Enders - it provided a great venue for my first venture into authentic Indian food. Yummy!!!
On Sunday the sun shone brightly in the sky and seeing Bath by sunlight was a different experience altogether...while no less lovely in the rain, it was nice not to venture forth bundled in coats and Wellies!
This day found us back at the Circus and the Crescent; two architectural structures designed for the wealthiest citizens of Bath in the 18th and 19th centuries. We were able to enter Number One Crescent - an authentically restored regency period townhouse. It was lovely. We also learned that only the facade was designed by the architect John Wood, all the homes behind the facade were individually contracted builds and all are unique and different.
We then ventured to the Jane Austen Center where Jayne and I learned more about one of our mutual favorite authors. On the tour one learns that Miss Austen was not a particular fan of Bath, preferring the quiet of the countryside to the bustle and pretentiousness of the city. She lived in Bath during a time in her life where she and her mother and sister were at the mercy of of the generosity of her brothers to care for them. During their time in Bath they were progressively moving down the hill to the inner areas of the town, as their financial situation dictated. Considering she only lived here for a short five years of her life, they have capitalized on her later fame.
Our time in Bath went all too quickly, and like most other places I have visited, more time was needed to soak it all in, but it will be one I will not soon forget...and hopefully someday I will come back, next time with Nancy, and experience it all again!
The Return of the Natives
Last Thursday evening Fairfield hosted their annual "Speech Night". The easiest way for me to explain this evening is to equate it to the tradition (or what it has evolved to be in the last ten years at Northbridge) of Class Night for our graduating Seniors.
Last year's Year 11 students, who left Fairfield and have since gone on to Sixth Form College, vocational training or the work force, most of whom are 16 or 17, return to Fairfield for a celebration of their achievements. They listen to speeches by the Headmaster, a guest speaker, and are entertained by musicians currently studying at the school. They receive their GCSE certificates and several little gifts. Highest achievers in each subject level are honored with a special award and gifts, seemingly books pertaining to those particular areas of study.
The evening began with a delicious roast dinner for the staff, lovingly cooked and served by Kath and Josephine, complete with Yorkshire puddings, roasted potatoes and several very yummy puddings to finish off the meal (desserts to all you Americans.) Micaela has determined that all sweets (desserts) are termed puddings here. The meal is provided in an effort to feed all those staff members who desire to stay for the evening activities, but who live too far from the school to return home and come back. It was very much appreciated!
All returning students gathered in the art room to mingle with the staff prior to the start of the night.
I was struck by the absence of student participation in this speech night, other than the musicians performing and the current Year 11 prefects who welcomed the guest speaker and assisted with the presentation of awards. At NHS both graduating and current students play a large role in Class Night ceremonies- making speeches, singing songs, playing instruments, and making presentations. Conversely, I was also surprised that no one from the leaving students stood to thank or recognize the staff for their years of dedication to the departed students' education. I am not certain that the same student/teacher relationships are fostered on this side of the pond as back at home; but that could be a false impression from this one function. I was also struck by the inclusion of hymns into the ceremony, on that token it would be comparable to our ecumenical baccalaureate church service for our seniors. I did like the creativity and uniqueness of the gift given to the guest speaker: a gift basket which included a leg of lamb from a Fairfield sheep, eggs from the Fairfield chickens and a scarf made from the wool of the Fairfield Alpaca's.
Overall, it was a nice evening and I was pleased that I had taken part. I am disappointed however, that I did not win the pool of money associated with a guess of the length of Mr. Barker's speech. Each staff member paid a pound ( a sum I thought should be upped to a tenner- typical American) for a guess,and one member of staff, my friend and PE teacher, Ian, uses a stop watch to time it...person closest wins the pool. Apparently this same tradition continues for Mr. Barker's speech at the Christmas Party...now I have a better idea of how much time to expect perhaps my chances at winning will be better.
I think this could be another tradition I can implement back at home...what,with a new principal and all... seems like a good wager...and everyone pays attention because they are all waiting to see how close they get to the winning time! ...and then behave very badly when they learn that a new teacher trainee actually wins! Good job Vicki!
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