The new Stampin Up catalogue has arrived - and this is looking like a costly little exercise.  Some pretty new papers and some new stamps I want... I mean need!  

I've also ordered a few new kits as you can get a lot of cards from 1 box!  

First couple of weeks done and dusted for my trial in the Front Office - I'm not convinced.  Everyone is excited over a newsletter being out - talk about a headache.  Learning a new program and having to get something out before the end of the day!!  

While they were happily patting themselves on the back - I told them not to get too excited.  This was a trial and I wasn't onboard with it.. I'm not sure they were listening. 

We'll see how this goes...

Update for previous post

 Today was the first day in the Front Office - so NOT my thing. I agreed to give it a go - but I reckon I'll need to make a decision before the end of term as Rhi will be going on Mat Leave - which leaves me in the hot seat! 

Add to that - no internet connection, no printer ... so day was spent opening and sorting out boxes of a stationery order, cutting and laminating timetables, dealing with late students, sick students, 'I want to go home' students!! Plus feral students not in class and causing havoc in the Front area. 

I am exhausted, achy and really hate people at the moment!!  

Now I need to be in there before 7.30 tomorrow morning to turn off all the alarms - it seems I'm pretty much the only morning person in the Front Office!  (At least I still get to go home by 3.30) 

Teachers have just realized that I'm not there for anything they need - keys, laptops, TV programs, bookings of AV... they're not thrilled. Especially as they weren't told what was happening and they're a bit snaky about no library as well.   Some students are unhappy about not having a library any more - others have just got a new playground! 

Whatever the bloody Universe is trying to say - just say it! I'm too old and tired for this nonsense. 

April 2023

 Interesting, isn't it (and scary) - just how quickly things can change, and you find yourself thinking 'wow, I really didn't see THAT coming'.

Last day of Term and I get called to the Principals office, with the usual cackles from students and 'You're in trouble, Miss Shelagh'.  (Turns out they may have been right...)

Our new Principal informs me he wants me working from the Front Office area, as back up for Reception and the SAMS operator, plus doing the newsletter & Good News Stories as well as anything else that needs doing. He was VERY clear that I wasn't losing my job, however. Out of all those - Reception is the one I definitely don't want to be doing. 

When asked who was going to do my jobs in the Library area, his comment was 'someone else'.  Helpful not at all, and on my querying him, he agreed he didn't see the Library as any sort of priority.  Harsh but probably fair, given the climate in the school, let alone in general society.  

I pointed out all the other things I did, from that area - but no dice.  'Pack up and clear out your personal possessions - he would hate to accidentally throw out something that belonged to me'. Oh - and there were other options, canteen, classroom support - the job at the Public Library, if I preferred!!  

Right up until that moment, I had been taking everything he said at face value - I know how short staffed we are, and are going to be. Aside from Reception duties, everything else he planned for me to do, could still be done from the Library area - while I still continued to manage the laptop bookings/iPads/AV equipment & loans, babysitting the study room area for the Distance Ed students, proof reading assignments and locating requested information for Senior students & teachers, management of the TV4ED system...  

But .. the comment about the job at the Public Library?  Where did that come from, if he was genuine about his reasons for moving me?? And where does that actually leave me?  

So - I'm currently looking into taking my Study Leave - which would mean they can pay for me NOT to go to school for about 12 months, then there's 6 months Long Service Leave - by then, retirement, I guess.  But after 26 years - it stings!  And even more so as I don't know why this is his plan - or what it is that I have/haven't done. I talked about retiring last year - when everything was so volatile and there were so many issues with staff and leadership, so maybe it's come back to bite me?  Or maybe the Universe is saying 'here, this way'?  

If I do go down the study leave path - I doubt that anyone is going to be thrilled at picking up all the extra jobs I currently do - but I guess he has a plan?  At least, I hope so! 

Anyway - we lost 2 of our new teachers at the end of the term, and the other is hanging on by a thread.  I think our Special Ed teacher is finding Tennant a hard place to be as well.  We have an assistant Principal coming in week 5, with a second one in week 8.  It looks like a possibility that we will have 2 or 3 new teachers to start the term off - and maybe they'll last.  The kids are more feral than usual - but they've had so many staff changes, that they are just not in the mood to deal with it, any more.  (Maybe it really is time to bail??) 

March 2023

Well - at least I've managed a post by the next month!!  

We hit the deck running once school started back - short staffed, still no Asst. Principal, brand new Principal and have basically spent the last 6 weeks or so just trying to keep ahead - at least by a couple of millimeters, anyway! Another of our teachers who had been here almost 2 years, threw her hands in the air and walked out about a week ago!  The 3 new teachers who started in the last couple of weeks are starting to have a 'deer in headlights' look about them plus one of our teachers who was here end of last term is driving me crazy!!  How can anyone teach for almost 30 years (according to him, anyway) and not have any sort of commonsense or be able to think things through?  He apparently needs strict routines or he can't cope - I suggested last week Tennant Creek High School wasn't for him!!  Politely, of course - trying to make it look like I really cared!! 

Guides kicked off at the start of February - big influx of new girls and I still have at least 6 on the waiting list!  It's good, I think?   

We have a Guide Camp planned for the end of April - however, I realised the other day that I haven't put the paperwork in yet and that should have been done at least 6 weeks beforehand. I guess I'm going to have change dates? 

I finished the Terry Pratchett book 'Last Continent'.  I think it would have to be the best he wrote!  The visual picture of Drop Bears landing on the pointy wizard hats is pure GOLD!  And as for his version of how evolution happens, let alone how sex was invented ... let's just say, you HAVE to read it! 

Currently, I am reading an e-book series by Katherine Genet - the 'Wilde Grove' series.   I had bought the first one quite a while ago and hadn't read it.  I started it a few days ago, and was immediately sucked in - and have now bought the rest of the series.  She is an amazing writer.  

Very little craft has been happening - there just hasn't been the time!  I have managed coffee with the craft ladies and lunch at the Memo to celebrate Debra's birthday, but no actual playing with paper and so on.  I set the ladies a 'Pinterest Challenge' which I didn't even complete, even though most of the group did.  Not what I would call a good look at all - although the ladies were understanding about it. 😕

So what plans do I have?  We have 2 weeks left of school after this week, and then a 1 week break covering Easter as well.  This could mean more time at the pool in the early mornings, not having to be at work by 7.30 should mean I can take the pooch for a run, paperwork catch up, prep for the Tennant Creek Show - then maybe I can get to some craft stuff?  

Let's see how this all goes... 

Welcome to 2023 and everything that brings

 Well, here we are at the end of the first week of Term 1 2023.  I'm not at all sure why I am doing this to myself again ... I suspect money is involved somewhere - isn't it always? 

New teachers, new Principal (male, for the first time in about 20 years!) new phone policy.  This will be fun indeed! 

I keep reminding myself that I have options.. 12 months Study Leave (they pay me NOT to be here) or 6 months Long Service Leave - or even switching my time to 4 hours a day instead.  

Guides restarts next week as well... oh, the joy!!  At least we won't have an NT State Camp happening here this year, so there's that.  

I planned to spend time crafting during the holiday break.. don't I always?  Things got a little skewed when Wayne was medivacced to Alice with blood poisoning and they never really got back on track.  I did do some craft stuff with Jenny when I spent a few days in Alice, which was great - but I need to make more time for it on a regular basis. 

I read a couple of books (actual books, not e-books!) which was wonderful - and I'm currently reading Terry Pratchett's book 'The Last Continent' which is a total hoot!  The dog thinks I'm crazy - turning pages and laughing my head off.  He keeps sitting there with his head tipped eyeing me curiously. 

Pratchett was an awesome writer with a wicked sense of humour.  His Discworld novels are just hilarious - but often with a point to make as well. 

So.. I'll make the usual promises about doing this regularly and posting photos etc.. and you know I always mean what I say .. at the time, at least.  

School Holiday Chaos

 Well, school holiday break has come and gone - and it's almost quieter back at school!  Almost!

The first week was our Region Guide camp, hosted here in Tennant Creek - with girls from Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Darwin and Palmerston.  We ended up with 37 girls and 13 Leaders attending.  

And it POURED with rain, with ICY winds for most of the camp!  Tents leaking, tents down, 40km winds while canoeing... and apparently the kids loved every bit of it.  As the LIC - I was done by mid-week, but we battled it out.  Then on the last day, we had a girl test positive to Covid!  

By the end of the camp - we had managed to complete almost everything on our program - from canoeing and horses to drones and mountain biking along with UV Resin Jewelry, Mandala Rock painting, Jellyfish weaving, Constellation Cubes, Campfire (fake fire though as all the wood was wet), Guides Own, Amazing Race Style Wide Game and an Underground Mine Tour.  The only thing we didn't pull off was Solar Printing - you actually need sun for that. 

Juno was an AMAZING place to camp - and they catered for us as well.  The food was incredible - definitely not what you would expect on a Guide camp. I really can't recommend the place highly enough. 

Second week of holidays, I, along with most of the Leaders tested positive to Covid - so a week spent at home not allowed out.  Which made for a few problems trying to get the gates organised for the Show - thank heavens for some supportive people who just made it work. The dog was really quite pleased with this turn of events, though.  

Third week of holidays - quick trip to Alice for a 2 day intensive Leader training Course, from 8am to 8pm both days. And it was -3 both nights!  The car was covered in a sheet of ice the first night.  Headed home on the Tuesday - after collecting Wayne from Alice Springs Hospital where he had been for 3 weeks. 

That left a few days to get everything done at home - and back to work on Monday for a full day PD Training which ran from 8am to 4.30pm.  Pretty much need a holiday to recover! 

Any crafting that got done was at the Camp, and didn't include much paper anything!  

Special Ed & Purple People Eaters

One of our recent activities with our beautiful Special Ed group was making Purple People Eaters - and playing the song along with actions .. which certainly tickled Isiah's fancy!

Ms. Squires spent the weekend making the purple pompoms we needed as I couldn't source them in town - and I think they turned out way better than they would have been with just ordinary pompoms.  We added blue or pink wings to these and 1 big googly eye along with a glittery horn in either pink or blue to match the wings.  These all went together using the magic of Glue Dots - to make a whole 'flock?'/'herd?'/'company?' of Purple People Eaters. 

I've sent the song link through to Ms. Juliet for the class to listen to again - and we all think that it would be a great idea if Ms. Fransina demonstrates the song and actions.  😉😉

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jV-E09efRE