Great News....

To say the last ten weeks have been busy is the biggest of understatements. With Beth and I working full time we have been rushed off our feet. Alfie (bless him!) has been whisked from his cot every morning at 6:30am and deposited at child care for 7am, where he remained until gone 5pm! Despite all being tired we all managed to survive to reach the end of term and a much deserved three week break... we have completed two of the four terms here in Australia. Rather sensibly the Academic year starts in January like other types of year and ends in December!

Beth did a great job and enjoyed being back in the classroom, building up a relationship with the kids in her class. The teacher she was covering returns after the holidays so it will be back to being a casual for Beth. I'm not sure that she enjoys that as much but she is glad that she will be able to spend some quality time with Alfie.

I'll return after the holidays but as a permanent member of staff. The good news is that I was successful in my application to become permanent, something which I have really been working hard for. It gives us a little more long term stability and a great school for Alfie to attend, its a huge coup for us. The public education system here has a strange appointment process in the form of a waiting list. Due to the geography of Australia there are many remote areas that find it difficult to recruit teachers and tempt them away from the coast. However with the waiting list teachers can progress up the list faster by doing time inland. Living in the country was something we did consider although with Alfie on the way and reports of teachers not belong able to leave until they were replaced put us off. The alternative was/is sitting on my backside for thirty five ... yes thirty five years for me to reach the top of the list. All permanent positions on the coast are like gold dust!

In January 2008 along came HVGS and the opportunity to teach for one year, this was then extended for another year. Then came the opportunity to apply with other contracted staff for a limited number of permanent positions. Of which I was lucky to one. Obviously I'm delighted although it is something of a bitter sweet moment as there are some really great people at school all equally deserving. Fingers crossed that something comes us for them soon...

You can check out the school website here.