Swimming Competitions and Scripture Classes in Public Elementary Schools?

A School District Providing Swimming Competitions and Scripture Classes During the School Day?

Read more to find out!

Annual Beaumont Road Public School 

Swimming Carnival Held 1st March, 2016

Hello Elementary Friends!

Happy March and the beginning of Autumn to you!  Whoops - I mean happy spring to the USA in about three weeks.  Here in Australia, Autumn is considered to be the full months of March, April, and May.  It is still quite warm here, but we are told that it won't be long until we start to feel the cooler air in the mornings and the evenings.  I must say that even though we have made it just fine since we have been here, I am ready for some cooler temperatures.

Before I start this week's blog, I promised you last week to translate the welcome slide from the NSW Teacher Exchange League training, so here it is:

Gday Gday  [Hello] Honorary Cockroaches [people from NSW,]  (we call Queenslanders, to the north Cane Toads and Victorians , Mexicans, because they live south of the boarder. People from South Australia are called Crow Eaters…..)

It’s bloody beaut  [beautiful] that you have come on a walkabout [journey], I am sure that you will give it a fair crack of the whip [fair go / good try], although I reckon [think]your folks [parents] think you’re a ding bat [idiot] for havin [having] a go.

It’s a bonzer [great]place so have a Captain Cook [look (rhyming slang)]. Check out the big smoke[Sydney], visit the coat hanger [Harbour Bridge (you can go up the Southern Pylon for about $5. great view up the harbour)], go to the never never[long trip into outback Australia when you relax and forget all time and place], go out into the big red[desert – specifically the Simpson Desert (worlds largest sand dune desert) where ‘Big Red’ is the largest of the dunes], watch some aerial ping-pong [Australian rules football (AFL)] and chuck on the cozzie or togs (budgie smugglers or thong) [swimming costumes] [be careful with thong it could be a form of swimmer or under ware (that will leave a minimal suntan mark) or the bits of rubber worn on your feet]and have a splash [swim]. The tucker [food] is ridgie dige [very good] so enjoy a cut lunch [sandwich], spag bol [spaghetti bolognaise] , hot chook [roasted chicken] or dog’s eye [meat pie (rhyming slang) with the occasional coldie [beer].  Or if you prefer a chardie [chardonnay / white wine]or cab sav [cabernet sauvignon / red wine]…… even the clean skins [cheap unlabelled bottles of wine]are  good for a rage [party]. If you are a bludger [lazy], a wowser [winger / negative] or a wuss [wont try anything] I’m sorry. Its better to yabber[talk a lot], be a larrikin [have fun] and give it a fair shake of the sauce bottle[get active / have your best attempt / shake things up].

You will find yourself flat out like a lizard drinking[busy]. From Kindie [kindergarten] to 12 [year 12] our ankle biters [children] will keep you feeling like you have been run out [worn out / tired]. On more than one day you will retire to your digs [accommodation] stuffed [worn out / tired]. They will whinge [complain] and chuck [throw] the odd wobbly [tantrum]. They will ask if your are a Pom [English] or Septic Tank [Yank (rhyming slang for Yankie)] (Canadians, please note that we do not have a derogatory name for you so be careful while you are here for the sake of your nationJ). At the start they will think that you are a mug [silly] because your not true blue [Australian] and they will give you a knock [tease] or two. Don’t get your knickers [under ware]in a knot [‘knickers in a knot’ – emotionally tied up] or do the Harold Holt [bolt (rhyming slang) (Harrold Holt was a Prime Minister who went for a swim at the beach one day and never came back)], just say “struth” [oh my gosh] and come back bright and sparkie [happy (a sparkie can also be an electrician)] the next day in the bag of fruit [suit (rhyming slang)]. Be wary of the sickie [calling in saying that you are sick when you are just wanting a day of work] because the car park talks [the car park is like the ‘water cooler’ it is where all the gossip happens] and your sure to be sprung [caught out]. This will only stir the possum [make people up set] and make things worse. Put on the roo bar[be resilient], stick it out [keep going] and she’ll be right [every thing will be ok] (remember the saying – “every thing will be ok in the end. If its not ok, then its not the end”)] . You may even get a pressie [gift].

Being a chalkie [teacher] is a rip snorter [great / lot of fun] but you will only get a brass razoo [the pay is not great. You will find the shellas [ladies] and blokes [men] fair dinkim [honest] and the opals and pearls [gems / jewels] will come from the joey’s [children] in your care.

Enjoy the Corroboree [event where Australian Aboriginals meet and interact with the Dreamtime [natural history] through dance, music, costume and story telling]!

This week has been busy at school.  Many of you know this already, but Mitch has been hired at Beaumont Road to be the part-time Spanish Teacher.  He teaches 13 classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  So far, he is enjoying it, and the students love him!  He is on the search for some printed curriculum with student workbooks, so if anyone has recommendations, please let him know by emailing him at mitchhankins@msn.com.

This past Tuesday students in Years Three-Six attended the Annual Swimming Carnival at the newly renovated Ku-Ring-Gai Fitness and Aquatic Center (formerly West Pymble Pool).

This beautiful facility is approximately 20 minutes by bus from my school and is utilized by the area schools for swim meets in Terms One and Four.  Students in Year Two who meet the following qualifications could also attend the event:
1.  Turning 8 sometime in 2016
2.  Can swim 50 meters without assistance
So, there were 12 students in Year Two who qualified, and I was chosen to attend the event with them!  Then, Mitch was asked to be a time-keeper, so we were off for a day at the pool!

The students at my school all belong to one of four different "Houses."  These are multi-age groups, and usually all members of a neighborhood family will be placed into the same House.  If you are a Harry Potter fan, it is along the same lines as the Hogwarts School Houses of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.   The Beaumont Road Houses are as follows:

1.  Horwood

2.  Blaxland

3.  Fuller

4.  Fidden

So, the morning of the Swim Carnival, the students wore the official color of their House, and sat together in the stands by "Houses."  It was, naturally, a life or death matter as to which House won the Swimming Carnival.  Spirits were high as the day began!  First up was the 100 meter free style which was for the older students.  Then, we started in with 50 meter races including free style, breast stroke, bake stroke, butterfly, relays, etc.  You would have thought we were at the Olympics.  Several of the students are very good swimmers, and they participate in leagues outside of school.  One student is in the New South Wales swim program and is being groomed for national and international competitions.  

It was a fun, but tiring day.  It was interesting to see how this works in a country that obviously values the teaching of swimming to its students.  That  is a proper priority with over 90% of the population of Australia living within 50 miles of the coastline.  Here are a few more photos of our day at the Swimming Carnival!

Mitch as Time Keeper

Raising his hand to start the race is Principal, Malcolm McDonald!

Scripture Classes in a Public School?

I have to say that when I first heard that Beaumont Road has scripture classes once a week during school hours, I was leery and skeptical of such an endeavor.  I am a proponent of the separation of church and state even though I practice a strong Christian faith.  

At Beaumont Road we have now had three weeks of scripture classes, and I would like to report how it works.  We can all then have our own opinions about it.

First - a bit of history about scripture classes within government schools in Australia:

Provision of religion in NSW primary schools is based on an agreement between the church and state dating back to the mid-to-late-nineteenth century. When the state of NSW took over public education (from the Anglican and Catholic churches) to ensure education for all children, it agreed to reserve one hour a week for special religious education (SRE). Undoubtedly, a majority of parents would have approved of this at the time. In 1901 census figures revealed only 0.4% of the Australian population identified themselves as having no religion. At the last census (2011), however, that number had grown to 22.3% and a further 8.55% did not answer the question.

So, how does it work?

Once a week for thirty minutes (unsure how we are getting by with just 30 minutes) students attend one of the following classes:

1.  Anglican/Uniting (pLearnovided by community volunteers)

2.  Catholic (volunteers)

3.  Hindu (volunteers)

4.  Buddhist (volunteers)

5.  Jewish (volunteers) 

6.  Ethics (provided by trained volunteer personnel)

7.  Non-Scripture (this class is more like a study hall where students can work on class or homework or read quietly - supervised by school personnel)

Parents choose the scripture class that their child will attend.  Some parents choose a different religion each year, so that their child gets a well rounded exposure to each of the offered Scripture Classes.  When it is time to go to Scripture Classes, my students are eager to go, and when my students return to the classroom, they seem happy.  Is it beneficial?  That determination is still undecided for me, but I can say that there would be far worse lessons that the students could participate in than learning about some of the world's great religions.  Obviously absent from the available courses, however, is Islamic Scripture.  

I am now interested in what you think!  Let me know via comment below!

Continuing to Learn About our Surroundings

At least one evening a week Mitch and I try a new restaurant near our house.  This week we made it to the Monday Night $14.00 Steak Night at the Woolwich Pier Hotel.  Quite a yummy steak for not much moolah!  Check out their website:

Woolwich Pier Hotel

This weekend we are heading to the Blue Mountains (just three hours west of Sydney) on an excursion with the New South Wales Teacher Exchange League.  We are looking forward to seeing this part of the state and getting out of the heat a bit!

Until, next week, dear friends, have a great beginning of Autumn or Spring wherever you are!