Rachel inducted as school leader

Rachel was today inducted as a school leader for 2014. How proud we are of our young lady!

Towards an Open Future

Yesterday was a landmark day in education in our household. Having driven our children to school for the duration of their schooling, we made our first steps onto public transport - travelling to school by train. It is a step towards greater independence for our children, towards a more environmentally-sustainable lifestyle, and for lower-hassle mornings in the house. I travelled with the two boys by train, then walked with them to school from the train station before returning by train to work for the day. The children found it a little threatening at first, embarking upon a new means of transport, which means learning to read timetables and train schedules on platforms, knowing where to be when moving from one train to another, as well as adjusting schedules should trains be late or delayed. All did not go according to plan, but we managed to arrive at school on time.

While the boys noted that they needed to leave earlier in order to arrive at school at the same time, they acknowledged the potential independence which flows from knowing how to find one's way around by public transport. Me? I enjoyed sitting on a train, reading a book where I would normally be stop-starting in traffic all the way back to the office. Even allowing for walking Sam into the classroom, I was back at the office only a little later than usual, feeling refreshed and less drained than after sitting in traffic for over 90 minutes.

It was the first step... small steps, but helpful and life-giving in the longer run, as Caleb, Rachel and Sam move out of one comfort zone into one they understand more readily. Thank goodness for public transport!

O Captain, my Captain

Congratulations to Rachel who has been appointed Choral Captain of the Junior School for 2008. She was formally handed responsibilities at the graduation of this year's Year 6 group today. Rachel has been happily singing as we have been decorating the house for Christmas!

Strings and Sings

Sam's year level held their final strings concert yesterday, with Sam putting his skills on the cello on display with all his classmates. Sam missed the half-year concert, as he was ill, and was chuffed to finally put on display the skills he had learned through the year. He's also happy that he doesn't have to lug the cello to and from school each week!

This was backed up with the final performance of the Bumblebee choir. You can see Sam here in the middle as they sing the Aussie version of Jingle Bells... "Tramping through the bush, in a rusty Holden Ute, Kelpie by my side, Esky in the boot..." They also performed a moving version of "We are the Cham

On the Stage

Rachel managed to climb out of her sick bed for her first lead role in a musical last night - her performance as the butler in her school production of Joseph. It was a fantastic night, despite the fact that three of the leads had been off school with flu, and another injured in a sporting accident that afternoon. The kids were fantastic, but the butler stole the show (totally unbiased opinion, of course!)