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First thought- I want to say how great it was to see Gene again and I'd like to give him a big thanks for putting me up and putting up with me for the week. There's nothing like living in someone's home to get an authentic feel for the place. Thanks so much Gene for letting me share the experience of Australia. G'day mate!
Monday morning- My Day in Pre Primer
Background- My friend Gene has a brother, Anthony, who is married to Karen. Anthony and Karen have two cute, little boys, Nathan and Alex. Nathan is in his second year of school at Sorrento Private Catholic School (my apologies if I got the school's name wrong). For his first year he attended Kindergarten (our PreKindergarten). I was interested in observing how Australian schools may be different from the ones in the States. I have to start off by saying that this is a well-off, Catholic school, so it might not be representive of public schools. But even they are under the guidelines (albeit generalized, not anything like the "voluntary" state curriculum in MD, for example) imposed by the national government. I soon found out it was very
different than what is practiced in Baltimore City at least.
In the morning, Gene drove me over to his brother's house, so I could join Nathan for PrePrimer (our Kindergarten). I think their approach, at least at this school, is the way veteran kindergarten teachers in the US tell me it used to be.
The school day started casually with parents dropping their little dears off for the school day. In Nathan's class the parents are invited to spend the first 15 minutes or so reading a book or working a puzzle with their child. It's a great concept. At the end of that period the parents must leave.
The teacher began by doing a read aloud. There was no letter recognition, no phonics, no drilling and practice, just the pleasure of sharing and listening to a story. Soon it was off to "sports," 30 minutes or so of physical activities. Back to the classroom they went to sit down for a snack of fruit. (Each day parents bring in a piece of fruit and it's all shared) After their little tummies are satisfied, it's "mat" or center time. Not the center time we have in BCPSS,
with "must do's" and "may do's" and a huge heaping of documentation, it's simply a casual exploration involving books, writing, blocks, the "hospital" area (let's play doctor!), and basic socializing. I had to leave shortly after "mat" time, but I looked at the class schedule for the day and saw more of the same. From what the teacher told me, they don't start formal instruction until 1st grade. What a wonderful introduction to school life? I wonder how long it will be before they may have to succumb to the burdens of early childhood testing and academic rigor. Hold your ground Australia!
I want to give a big thanks to Anthony and Karen for allowing me to attend Nathan's school. It was a real pleasure and something I'll remember always.
I also want to mention that they invited Gene and I over to their house on Sunday evening for dinner. They were a warm, open, and friendly family. I wish more families could follow their example. I'm sure their children will treasure them always (skipping those adolescent years of course). Thanks again.
Monday afternoon
Karen picked me up from school and was kind enough to
drop me off at The Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA), Hillarys Boat Harbour. I thanked her for letting me share in Nathan's school experience and off I went.
The aquarium is not the largest I've ever been to, but it has plenty to see with lots of diversity. The weather outside was frightful, yet the rain managed to hold off. A mention about the Perth's winter weather. The weather seems to come in waves. In the morning it may be a perfectly, beautiful, sunny day and then the wind kicks up and you know the rain is coming. Sunday it came down in buckets. But then a few hours later it all clears up again, only to pour a few hours after that. It was an interesting mix of weather.
I have captions for most of the pics so it should be clear what's what. Enjoy!
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Beverly Tyler
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You're a Lucky Guy!
It must be really nice to have such good friends around the world. This is a once in a lifetime experience. It just wouldn't be the same, the second time around. Beverly