Nog 'n groot naweek!

Everything is going great! Last week I spent time observing in the classrooms.  I am really learning a lot and getting a feel for how the school runs.  The schedule is kind of confusing because it changes each day but I will hopefully get the hang of it soon.  During the school week my days are kind of all the same.  I leave for school with Sharon at 7:00am.  Classes start at 7:40 and end at 2:05.  We have two breaks throughout the day that are each twenty minutes long.  After school I either work on different assignments the students are doing, read, or email friends and family.  Once Sharon has finished her work we leave and sometimes run some errands.  We are normally home by four or four-thirty.  I shower and rest for a while and then we all have dinner together.  After dinner we watch tv for a little and then I go to my room to read until I go to sleep.  Last week I attended a meeting with the mathematics department and they asked me to give a presentation about using technology in mathematics.  I have emailed a couple of my teachers from NKU to ask for their input and am anticipating their reply.  Last week I also had a formal meeting with my Cooperating Teacher.  I start teaching on Wednesday!  I will start by teaching exponents to grade nine on Wednesday and then integers to grade eight on Friday.  I am really excited and nervous.  I have been completing all of the work in the text so that I will be prepared for when I teach.  Sharon left for a conference in Cape Town on Thursday and does not return until Tuesday.  Thursday night Danie made dinner and Danie, Michael, and I watch the movie Surfs Up.  Friday Danie took me to school and then left to meet Sharon in Cape Town in the afternoon.  Heather took me home from school and stayed the weekend with me at Sharon’s house.  After school Heather’s daughter Ciara had a bagpipe lesson.  Heather, Heather’s mother and I had a couple Amarillo’s and listened to the lesson.  Ciara is really good and it was interesting to listen to.  On Friday night Heather, Ciara, Ciara’s friend Ashley and I went to Friday Market.  It is a market run by a local school that has different stands on a big field.  Each stand sells a different kind of food and there is live music, shops, and a bar.   Heather and I had a couple drinks while Ciara hung out with all of her friends.  Heather saw a few of her friends from England and we ate dinner with them.  We had pitas filled with lamb and all kinds of vegetables and sweet chili sauce.  After Friday Market we went to Chatters for a drink.  We saw Shaw and a couple families at Chatters.  After that we went to take Ashley home.  Ashley’s parents invited us in for a drink because they were having a dinner party.  The night was so much fun and I got to meet a lot of interesting people.  On Saturday we woke up early because it was inter-house athletics day.  Athletics day is kind of like Olympic day except a lot more seriously, a lot longer, and on a Saturday morning. The school is divided into three different teams, Millwood (yellow), Jubilie (red), and Bendigo (blue).  Heather and I were going to drop off Ciara and only stay for a little but since we are both faculty we were roped into helping run the event.  It was on a giant field, with no shade.  Luckily it was not very hot, but I don’t think I have ever been so sunburn in my entire life.  Other than that it was really fun.  It was my job to help time the different running events.  I feel like I really got to know some of the students a lot better.  After athletics day was over Heather, Shaw, and I went to Spur’s for a quick milkshake on the waterfront.  Heather and I took Ciara to Ashley’s house to go tubing.  We were completely exhausted from being in the sun all day so we went home and watched a movie. *** I just saw a monkey walk into the building outside the window of my classroom! I wonder if I need to do anything about that. *** On Sunday I woke up and had breakfast with Heather.  We went to go pick Ciara up from Ashley’s house and we went in to have cup of coffee with Ashley’s family.  They are so nice and we had a fun time sitting and chatting.  Ashley’s mom and Heather are planning a weekend trip to a rustic spa a couple hours away and invited me to go!  I guess you stay in little cabins that are surrounded by hot springs and a pool.  They said that there is a lot to do around the spa and we could even go to pet the white tigers.  It is the weekend of the 24^th and I am so excited!  After we left Ashley’s house we went home and watched Avatar.  Heather’s parents came over and made pancakes for dinner.  It was so good!  Heather’s dad is a math teacher at Knysna High and he gave me some pointers as to how to teach exponents to the students.  I have a feeling he is going to be a lot of help in these next few weeks.  After they left we watched tv for a little and just went to bed!  It was a great weekend! Soo like what is going on on Top Chef All Stars?? Jersey Shore?? Housewives?? Survivor South Africa starts in like two weeks. I am pretty pumped.  I saw Obama on tv saying that he hopes to impact someone's life in the future. I would hope so.