Avocados & Earthquakes

We have successfully completed week one of ten in the NZ school system!! I can’t believe it has only been one week (and a 4-day week at that)! I am already in love with my bundle of 5-year-olds in Year One and Chris is smitten with his Year 5/6 class. They are all just lovely! =D

I would like to first point out the view from the school. That’s the ocean!! It is so close and beautiful and no matter how windy it gets at the top of the hill, that is a priceless view. Ahhh.

We have quite the walk to get to and from school each day. Literally, hundreds of steps. We have to go down Bluff Hill, cross the road and go back up Hospital Hill. Google Maps did not prepare me for this!

Just 107 more to go.... on this half!! 

You can see Chris about half way up the stairs!  

We go down these stairs, across the street and up the set on the left. 

Now, I am seriously in love with all of my little students. They are just so precious with their accents and curiosity. There are a couple that instantly melt my heart every time we talk. Ah! So cute! When my CT (cooperating teacher) said that there was a Mr. Curry around too, the students immediately suggested that the two of us should meet- perhaps we would even like each other! What dolls!

Today, Thursday, I received my first gift from a student- a bag of fresh avocados off her tree at home! How thoughtful.

The bag with the avocados says "Mrs Curry <3" 

On Wednesday we actually experienced an earthquake. It apparently registered as a 5.5 and originated north of us. My CT and I were outside on lunch duty with the Juniors (Years 1-3). Amongst an intense bluster and children asking to be excused, the bell rang in an unfamiliar sequence. Before I knew it, everyone was crouching on the ground covering their necks!! My CT laughed at me from across the students and motioned for me to drop. I obeyed. The bell finished, students rose, and we made our way to the designated meeting area. The wind immediately took advantage of the situation tossing food, bags, and boxes high into the sky and far across the field. Students and faculty filed into the appropriate spots and we counted our kids. Once that was all over we spent the rest of duty hunting down lunches devastated by the gale for teary-eyed little ones. Neither Chris nor I felt the shakes, but others inside the buildings noted the movement.

I was standing on the right side of the cement section when the quake bell rang. 

Back to the school system! The student body as a whole has a very interesting dynamic. Students from other years would recognize that we were new faces and just say “hi” at morning tea (yeah, we have morning tea everyday!) or just out around campus. Once we were introduced at our separate assemblies, random students would say, “hi Mr./Mrs. Curry!” The students immediately accepted us and welcomed us whole-heartedly. It was a marvelous feeling to be so genuinely integrated without adult provocation. Marvelous souls these young ones have.

I am also amazed by their honesty. They are children and obviously make hiccups, but the in situations I encountered they immediately declared their wrongdoing- sometimes even on their own accord: a boy approached me on playground duty and said he had “accidently kicked a boy”. He proceeded to tell me that the boy wanted him to play, he declined, and the other persisted so he kicked him. Not really an accident, but I wouldn’t have even been aware of the situation had he not sought me.

We are beginning to fall into a sort of routine in the cottage. We even did a round of laundry! The thing about laundry here is that no one really uses dryers. It is customary to hang-dry all clothes after the wash. So, we did!! It will take a while to adjust to non-air fluff clothes, but we’ll get over that!

This is Polly the Golden Doodle. I love Polly so much. I want a dog so badly!!

Such a lovable little pup! 

We are fortunate enough to have a four-day weekend! Friday is Hawks Bay Day- our little nook of the country has the day off to recognize the founding of Hawks Bay. Monday is NZ Labor Day! We plan to work our way up to Taupo and to the Waitomo glowworm caves! We are hoping to be back by Monday to spend a day just sitting and relaxing!

Next week looks like a couple trips to the estuary to, “watch the birds and the tides and such” (what a field trip!), a couple Minibeast lessons, and surely terrific views.

Sending all our love on the sea breeze!

<3 K & C