Hello Wairoa

Thursday, May 24, 2012

                Overall today was a good first day.  I looked up my bus route to see what times the bus was going to arrive this morning, and it turned out my first bus was going to arrive later than when my second bus departed from the junction.  This meant I had to take a brand new bus and figure out when I need to get off to get the school.  It all ended up working fine and the new bus drives me the length of Bondi beach so it was a pleasant view the last few minutes of the bus ride. 

I got school at 8:30am and sat in the staff room until 9 when students start arriving.  Most teachers came early and made their breakfast there.  Most of the students are picked up by taxis and dropped off at the school.  All the staff stands at the front door and as the students come we each take a student and guide them to either the top playground, bottom playground, or a game like room depending on their abilities.  It was overwhelming to see the severity of many of the students.  What also surprised me was how all the staff knows every student.  It would definitely take me a while to learn all 65 kids’ names and cases and I doubt I will by the end of these seven weeks. After all the kids arrived a school bell rang and I was showed to which room I worked in for the day.  I was in a classroom with two teachers.  There I had five boys who are high school age, most with some form of autism.  All the boys have no speaking abilities or can only say one word at a time.  We started off the morning with some classroom like things such as pointing to what day it is, the date, and what tomorrow will be.  Then we went out as a class to the playground.  They have chair swing that is geared towards kids with handicaps and a trampoline that is securely safe for those with fewer severities; of course only one person is allowed on at a time.   We then had tea time for the kids where they just had a snack or drink.  Following their tea break I was able to have my own while the kids go out again and play.  Throughout the week you are assigned three duties.  So for one duty you might not have a tea break because you are outside on the playground with the children.  Come next week I will be entered into the duty list and will have to miss a tea break of half a lunch 3 times during the week.  After tea we came back in and tried doing some more activities.  Much of what was planned never really happened due to just the kids running around. Two of my boys wear padded hats because they have frequent seizers throughout the day.  Watching one definitely was what made me realize the severity of the children in my class.  As a class we got to take a trip to Coles, the grocery store.  It was an adventure to say the least.  One of the kids loves to pick stuff up and throw anything, he was eyeing some bricks we passed on the way in like he wanted to pick it up and chuck it across the street.  But it was a fun trip, we picked up items because on Monday’s we make their lunch for the kids, with some help from them.  It was a fun expect for the rain.  It was a chilly day to begin with and then it had to start raining that eventually turned into pouring rain.  When we got back the kids ate their own lunches and then I got time to have my own.  I brought left over pizza from the night before and a pear.  After lunch we just did random things in the classroom, played music, some activities, mostly cater to what the kids ended up doing.  One of the kids likes to pinch and as I was walking him back from indoor play he grabbed my face and pinched me and it definitely stung but after he was smiling so it made me laugh.  I do have to scratches running down my chin I noticed though.  The kids are all definitely unique but I got to see everyone of the boys in my class smile at some point during the day so I enjoyed it.  

I made the horribly trip home in the rain and got off a stop too early but I got back to my place within an hour.  I came home and just ate whatever I saw basically which meant cereal, ice cream, and left over pizza. So healthy I know.  But then I spent some time at the pool tonight because I found out today is the last day it is open until July 2.  This is actually very upsetting because it is a really nice pool. After that I went to Coles because my bread had started to mold and I need bread to make my lunch tomorrow and to get a few snacks for the bus trip tomorrow. So tomorrow I am driving up north for a weekend of surfing.  There are about 15 people from my school going through a company that transports up there and home and sets a place up where we stay.  It’s nice since it’s only Purdue people as well.  I thought it was a three hour drive north, but then the women in charge told someone six hours.  So I’m not exactly sure but she did say that we will be the only ones on the beach.  So unfortunately I won’t be able to update the blog until Sunday night, that is if I’m not exhausted. 

Tomorrow morning at school is a staff breakfast.  I asked if I was supposed to bring something and a teacher said no but the next time I should bring double.  And then she clarified that what I should bring is American brownies.  Too bad I never make brownies from scratch; the box ones are just as good in my mind. 

Fun things

-hot chips = French fries