Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Hey Everyone!

So the title of this blog is classically cliché but time and time again it proves appropriate in describing this trip. We are already in the 6th week of Swanson School’s 4th 10-week term. Since we started on Week 2 and will be here for a total of 9 weeks, that means that we are in the middle of our 5th week here. The final week will be short, and the week before that will be spent tying up loose ends for the year, so in all reality, things are going by quite quickly.

The more time I spend at Swanson School, the more I love it. I am having so much fun getting involved with all the academics and extra-curriculars at a full-time speed. I have been conducting our little classroom orchestra of recorders, guest-judging for the Swanson’s Got Talent competition, teaching line-dancing to students, and choreographing a dance for Laura and I to perform in the school’s show…all on top of being a full time teacher. It’s amazingly fun and exhausting!

As for our newspaper project…we are still working on it. The project has now expanded again as well, to also include a classified ads section for advertisements from other classrooms…It’s really fun and the kids are so involved! The only struggle for me as the teacher is keeping everyone moving at their own pace because the project is so in-depth with everyone at different stages. I guess that’s part of teaching though that will become an acquired skill – learning to keep every child engaged at their own level at all times.

This past weekend was full of fun shenanigans as well! ☺ Laura and I hired a car from a somewhat dodgy rental place in a town about 20 minutes away. We picked up our cherry-red Honda Civic Hatchback on Saturday morning and drove to Waitomo (about 3 hours away) for a 3-hour Legendary Black Water Rafting Adventure. We zipped into wetsuits and lighted helmets, grabbed inner-tubes, and set off underground exploring caves, jumping backwards over waterfalls, and viewing glowworms that illuminated the ceiling of the caves. It was incredible! Afterwards we visited the museum and headed back home, another 3-hour beautifully scenic and curvy drive. I took lots of pictures and videos! ☺

Onwards with the week…Have a good one everyone!
Cheers!