Home Again, Home Again, Pancakes for Breakfast
A Whirlwind of a Couple Weeks - Perfect Ending to an Amazing Year!
Hello Elementary Friends,
This past week was a busy one with finishing up a school year, organizing a classroom to leave it for Helen, organizing and cleaning out our apartment for Helen's return, and lots of emotional good byes!
It was, however, a perfect (albeit filled with messiness) ending to a truly amazing year. It will take me a while to unwind, but I am now looking forward to some rest and reflection.
Saying Goodbye to Bear, G.B., Paul, Alex, and Drew
I think I have shared in a previous blog that Mitch has spent each Wednesday evening during 2016 at the Hunter's Hill Hotel Trivia Night Contest. He has been the token American on a team and has thoroughly enjoyed it. He is now committed to finding a team in Denver once we return. So, if anyone knows of a team in need of a brain filled with superfluous facts, dates, details, pop culture, history, literature, and general information, then let me know because Mitch is the man for your team! He is not so great with sports (especially Australian sports), mathematics, and current top 20 hits, but he was appreciated by the members of his team. Here he is with his Wednesday Night Trivia Team:
End of School - A Busy Time Indeed!
For any of my family, friends, and colleagues who have worked at an elementary school, I am sure you will agree that there are various ways that a school can end a year. The myriad of options all contain pros and cons for each scenario. When deciding, we look at the following considerations and many others:
1. Do we schedule all end of year events during the last week or do we spread them out over the course of a few weeks?
2. Do we schedule as much as we can at the beginning of May (or December in Australia) so that the last three weeks are less stressful?
3. If we schedule the special events early, how do we keep the children motivated and engaged until the last bell rings?
4. When should assessments occur - there is research that says they should be given on the last day to keep students focused on the learning.
5. If we wait until the very end for assessing, then how do we complete comprehensive reports for parents of the children's learning throughout the year?
6. When should awards assemblies occur - should they coincide with reports to parents?
7. How about parties and celebrations? How many and when?
8. Musical concerts, drama productions, field days - whew!
9. Teacher appreciation days?
10. Parent appreciation days?
11. How do we minimize the amount of paperwork and clerical jobs that teachers must complete at the end of school?
Over the course of the years I can say that I have tried just about every scenario with varying degrees of success - the main point in my mind is to ensure that the last few days of school are busy for the children, so that they don't perceive that we disregard the importance of the ending hours in our attempts to complete administrative tasks.
Beaumont Road has activities for most of the month leading up to the end, but the last week was very busy. We attended the Year Six Musical on Tuesday evening. It was a musical tribute to the times beginning in the 50's. It was interesting to see this from an Australian perspective - much like ours, but with a few Aussie twists. Then, on Thursday and Friday Presentation Assemblies were held three times (K-2, 3-4, and 5-6). These programs were well organized and presented in a very professional manner.
Here is a link to the choir in years one and two performing "Tomorrow."
Here is a link to all of the children in K-2 singing "The Green and the Gold" which is a song that is very special to Australians - sort of like our "America the Beautiful" or "My Country 'Tis of Thee."
Handing Out Certificates at K-2 Assembly
Finally, I wanted to leave a bit of myself with the Beaumont Road Community, so I wrote some new words to a song that is very special to Australia - "Waltzing Matilda." Here is a bit of history on the song:
"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's best-known bush ballad, and has been described as the country's "unofficial national anthem".
The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing, derived from the German auf der Walz) with one's belongings in a "matilda" (swag) slung over one's back. The song narrates the story of an itinerant worker, or "swagman", making a drink of billy tea at a bush camp and capturing a jumbuck (sheep) to eat. When the jumbuck's owner, a squatter (wealthy landowner), and three mounted policemen pursue the swagman, he commits suicide by drowning himself in a nearby billabong (watering hole), after which his ghost haunts the site.
The original lyrics were written in 1895 by Australian poet Banjo Paterson, and were first published as sheet music in 1903. Extensive folklore surrounds the song and the process of its creation, to the extent that it has its own museum, the Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton, Queensland, where Paterson wrote the lyrics. In 2012, to remind Australians of the song's significance, Winton organised the inaugural Waltzing Matilda Day to be held on 6 April, the anniversary of its first performance.
The song was first recorded in 1926 as performed by John Collinson and Russell Callow. In 2008, this recording of "Waltzing Matilda" was added to the Sounds of Australia registry in the National Film and Sound Archive which says that there are more recordings of "Waltzing Matilda" than any other Australian song.
So, here are the new words that I wrote to the tune of "Waltzing Matilda." A special thanks to my cousin, Rebecca Koch for her assistance in finding the perfect key for me to sing the song!
To Beaumont Road with Love
16 December 2016
I came to your island.
Far away from my land.
The time it has raced past - I can’t believe.
Chorus:
Now I wish it could last – perhaps another day or two - and you’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda,
You’ll come a waltzing with me.
Now I wish it could last – perhaps another day or two - and you’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
I have learned so much here.
I will think of you with cheer.
I’m wanting to hold each one of you near.
Chorus
My accent was forgiven.
Now we’ll just keep on livin.’
Colorado’s waiting – for my return.
Chorus
So, forgive me for cryin’
Cause you know that I’d be lyin’
If I did not say that I Love You.
Chorus
Karla Hankins
Mortensen Elementary School Littleton, Colorado, USA
kbhankins@msn.com
elementarymyfriends.blogspot.com
Here is a link to a video of me singing the song to the Years 3-4 Presentation Assembly:
Photos of our last events at Beaumont Road Public School
Mitch as an Aussie Santa! |
At the Airport Just Before Boarding the Plane to Come Home!
Dinner at Manly Beach with Malcolm and Joanne McDonald - the Night Before Leaving |
"Pop Eye" telling us goodbye on Sunday Morning - We will miss you! |
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