Canadians for a week

We've been here for a week already, and starting to feel more settled. I've started work, which is keeping me busyish as I start to plan for the year ahead with composite classes and new subjects. Working with different curriculum documents means the planning is taking some time, but I hope I will speed up as the week goes by. (More on work later)

Tonight Nath and I spent a few hours enjoying two conversations - firstly with Ross (N's brother) as we had fun getting video calls up and running with windows live messenger. Secondly we a great encouraging conversation whilst trying out a skype video call with our Australian friend Andrew in Houston, Texas.

Nath is getting into pre-reading of the Old Testament before orientation on Friday, which keeps him occupied whilst I'm at work - hopefully he'll jump on and add his two bobs worth sooner or later, until then, you've got me for company! I'm still not 100% certain of all that I am teaching, or how it will work, but I hope to have a timetable by tomorrow, and the students start back on Tuesday (Monday is Labour Day) . There's a link to the school's website on the right of this page. At the moment the definites are 7-9 Maths, 7-9 Science, 10 Maths. Then there will be some subjects which aren't a full subject like PE (Gym), Health & Careers, Business / Technology Studies - I may even be teaching cooking once a week yet!

From what I can tell the school community seems lovely, and I'll find out soon enough I guess. The school is having a BBQ at the end of the first week with all the families. There are 3 yr 7's, 4 yr 8's, 2 yr 9's, 3 yr 10's and 1 yr 12. The seniors do most of their subjects online. There are 17 kids from Kindergarten (Prep) to Yr 3, and 17 from Yr 4-6.

I hear its been raining in Australia - the weather here is mostly okay, the wind is starting to have a chill in it and we need to wear jumpers outside sometimes. But since this is all the summer we are going to get until next June, I'm trying not to be too negative!

On Sunday we visited University Chapel, a church of about 300 ppl, and also the location of my school. The next two Sundays we hope to visit two other churches, 10th Ave Alliance, and University-Town Church, a church plant on campus.

We haven't really met a lot of people yet - besides the ladies that I work with, a few others at a school prayer meeting on Monday night, and Nath met a few Aussies at Regent yesterday (not first yrs), but we have only been here a week. We've appreciate your comments and prayers,

M