Thursday 6 June 2013

Summer begins...........

The end of 2013 (school year that is!)

The last few days of school were pretty much like a normal end of school year in Oz - cleaning, finishing up work with the kids, report writing, packing up the room, parent teacher conferences, fun whole school days of activities with the students - including a staff vs 5th grade tug of war match! (no where near as fun or entertaining as our KPS staff vs student AFL match though!!)

My homeroom students were extremely helpful in packing up the classroom for me - they had it all tidied, sorted and boxed up basically in an hour! All I was doing was directing them :-) As a result we had a very easy and relaxing last few days of school. The last Monday we celebrated the end of some research learning and having their awesome and amazing Australian teacher by watching 'Finding Nemo' and having Anzac biscuits, Milo and Vegemite crackers; Tuesday we spent outside in the gorgeous hot sun for our school Field Activity Day; and on Wednesday we went to the pool for the morning and ate lunch in the park next to the complex. The last hour of the day I took my homeroom outside for what had become a weekly tradition of being able to throw the boomerangs and AFL footballs - and I became a football umpire for a very basic game! I think I did alright (they didn't know any different anyway!)

I will miss the fourth grade kids when we go back to school in August, but I am excited to know and learn with another bunch of 60 odd hard working Nisley kidlets! I am also looking forward to exploring a new piece of the curriculum - I am teaching Math to the grade next year :-) A new adventure for the next teaching stage of my exchange!

Camping in Glade Park

I have not been camping since I was in Year 12. I went camping in high school in Year 9 and Year 11 on our school trips to the Grampians and the Warrumbungles; have camped with my family when I was little for a number of years; but camping on Fraser Island with my family (and the dingoes) in Year 12 was the last time I have ever pitched a tent. That was in 2000 - pretty much 12 and a half years ago.

SO when my friends mentioned they were looking at going camping this summer, I was interested in going (because I love hanging out with them) but also was a tad apprehensive since it had been so long and I knew for a fact that I much preferred having four walls and a 'proper' bathroom with running water nearby. However, I went for it - and it was really cool!!

We were about an hour from my place in Palisade. I drove into the Colorado National Monument and went off into an area called Glade Park. When we arrived at our campsite, Lindsay and Geri helped me with erecting my (Theresa's) tent which I was very grateful for! There was about 8 of us (and a couple of kids) and we had a great time sitting around the fire bin that night, just talking with everyone and hanging out. I even tried my first s'more!! It wasn't bad (the chocolate was the best part!) :-)

My tent
The view from our campsite
 
Sun set view

Gorgeous colours in the sky!

My first s'more - melted chocolate and marshmellow
sandwiched between two crackers

Camping was a great way to kickstart my summer vacation - the next day I packed up and drove to Denver for the night......... the following day I was flying to San Fransisco to meet my sister!!

Stay tuned in for road trip adventures and keep smiling!

Candice :-D

No comments:

Post a Comment