Like most schools around the world are probably doing, our school is organising events for the Olympics Games currently being held in Athens.

For this each class has been allocated a country and is required to run an activity based on that country.

I have been allocated Canada - and knowing the huge population of Canadians online here at TIG was hoping that somebody might be able to give me a quick and easy activity that I might be able to do with about 25 Grade 3/4 (8-10 year olds) kids !

Any/all suggestions greatly apprecaited !!!

Knowing the huge TIG membership base in Canada I just had to share this article with you all.

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Canadians answer sperm call
By Paula Beauchamp
July 9, 2004

CANADIAN students could fly into Australia on sperm donor "holidays" and pocket a trip worth $7000 for their trouble.

Authorities have given a green light to the plan after a six-month investigation, in a bid to overcome a domestic sperm drought.

Reproductive Medicine Albury advertised the two-week trips downunder through a University of Calgary newspaper in December.

Under the plan, students would donate sperm every second day while enjoying a Murray River holiday in Albury-Wodonga.

The holiday package, valued at $7000, includes return airfares, accommodation for two weeks and a daily allowance of $150.


Source: http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10083004%255E13762,00.html?name=otherside

Well, five weeks in and I'm still alive. I have learnt so much in the last five weeks than I think I ever have in my entire life. I have also never been so tired in my entire life. The workload never ends; just as you've got on top of the correcting from the sessions you have taught, there's planning to do for the lessons you need to teach. And when you get allocated time to get this work done, some dilema will get thrown up so you only wind up further behind. But I'm slowly beginning to get better at it all and begin to make more sense of everything.

(Apologises for not going into much detail, but you never know who might be reading this stuff !!!)

School stuff aside, I went to an awesome meeting last week on Thursday. They have (finally) appointed someone to oversee the implimentation of the Youth Strategy we have been working on forever and I got to meet her for the first time last week. She seems really switched on and in tune with what we are all wanting to get out of the group. Hopefully amazing things will develop as a result.

I survived my first day of REAL teaching; all by myself with nobody watching over my shoulder !

Spent the week before school started scrubbing the classroom and making it all nice and pretty. I've already rearranged the tables a few times and no doubt will continue to do so until I work out an arrangment that works best.

My goal for the day was to end the day breathing, with a pulse, all limbs intact and senses functioning.... Anything else was a bonus ! Only injury was my voice is a little sore; been told already I have to go and get voice PD from one of the other staff ! Got a few kids that are going to be "challenging", but the vast majority seem really nice - just need to work on establishing a bit more control in working towards how I want things to be.

Teaching wise I feel very out of practice and feel really aquard - the words aren't quite coming out the way that I want them to. Be glad when specialists start next week - everyday I've got time set aside for specialists so be nice to have a break from the stand up side of teaching and work on the organisation side of things. Hopefully I'll get myself (and the kids) into a good routine and all will fall into place by the end of next week.

Till the next exciting installment....


P.S: The photo is of my desk - I've got another photo of my actually teaching, but I need to get a copy of it scanned. Watch this space !!!