Christmas Flower Time in Australia

Top 15. Jan 6, 2005 2:55 PM

» MaggieM - Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Happy New Year

Gay: so, the students came for the garden (who wouldn't?) and you educated them - what a good teacher you are!
The spider was a Black Widow, I think (we don't have anything that large here). It was quite dead and absolutely fascinating! When we took our first trip to OZ in 1989, I told Jack there were no poisonous things he would have to deal with. He bought it (Tee Hee) and could not wait to get back the second time even though he knew I had scammed him by then.
You're right, we were a bit cold, but we used towels and cuddled...never to old to get close, right?
Is it time soon for a new Guess What? No pressure, my good friend.

-- posted by MaggieM

Top 16. Apr 19, 2005 7:32 AM

» biogardener - School vacation

I am wondering how your school vacations are arranged. In Europe, the summer holidays are the longest, and in your part of the world, Christmas might fall into those holidays.

In Germany, the school year starts after Easter in spring which is originally the the beginning of the year. The summer holidays are one month long. Different areas have holidays either all of July or all of August to avoid crowding the highways.

In Canada, the summer holidays are two months long, all of July and all of August. Before the age of airconditioning, that definitely was a necessity, especially in the prairies, where even as far north as the Peace River District NW of Edmonton, June days were so hot that we had to reserve the serious learning to mornings. In the US, school is out most of June and all of July and August, and I imagine that is on account of the heat before airconditioning.

In Canada, the Christmas holidays start just before Christmas and last for two weeks. How about in Tasmania?

-- posted by biogardener

Top 17. Apr 19, 2005 6:48 PM

» Gay_Klok - Re: School vacation

In response to School vacation posted by biogardener:

School holidays in Tasmania -

Our main holidays are in summer time, therefore from a week or so before Christmas until second week in February - approx 7 weeks, I think

They have changed since my childrens' days.

I think the next holidays are in June [winter] and are the shortest, maybe 3 weeks

August [summer coming] are a good 3 weeks again

I am not certain of all this but will know this year. My daughter is a medical doctor and had a 'nanny' to mind the 2 children when she was at the clinic. They have both started full schooling and Michele has cut her hours down to 3 mornings a week but I will mind the children during the school holidays on those mornings. It will be fun :=]

-- posted by Gay_Klok

Top 18. Apr 20, 2005 5:33 AM

» biogardener - School Year

Just as I suspected, your main holidays also happen in summer. When does the school year begin, i.e. when do children start in a new grade.

-- posted by biogardener

Top 19. Apr 20, 2005 7:12 AM

» Gay_Klok - Re: School Year

In response to School Year posted by biogardener:

In the new year - ie in February. All exams [matriculation etc] are in early December

-- posted by Gay_Klok

Top 20. Apr 25, 2005 2:12 PM

» MaggieM - Re: Re: School Year

Traute - the original (Canada) school year is based on the "farm" agricultural cycle - children were needed to help out in the summer months. There has been some experimentation (pilot projects) with changing things at some school boards here in Ontario, the thinking being that the less time kids are away from the books, the better for their learning. Interrestingly, some of our communities inthe far north of Ontario where there are manynative children, there's a week off for the annual "goose hunt" in the fall.
Gay you will love having those two grandchildren in the mornings during their vacations! And knowing those kids, they'll love being with you and Kees, too!
Traute - we have an exchange principal at one of our schools this year who is from just outside of Sydney Australia. Lots of teachers do exchanges, not too many principals, though. She arrived in late December (her holidays) and had to go right to work early in January. Her Canadian counterpart had a month or more of hols before going to school. The exchanges are all for a one year - calendar year - time period. We have a teacher friend who has retired now who did two exchanges to OZ because she and her husband loved it so much. You take your kids, your spouse and trade houses. Winter here - and snow days (no busses) - have given our Aussie visitor a number of new experiences. She also came in and had to deal with a work-to-rule "strike" of teachers in February and Mmarch , after going through a similar situation in OZ before she came away!

-- posted by MaggieM

Top 21. Apr 25, 2005 8:27 PM

» Gay_Klok - Re: Re: Re: School Year

In response to Re: Re: School Year posted by MaggieM:

Maggie, why do they keep doing this to us Aussies?

I arrived in February, by ship, on the 11th Feb to marry Kees in Ottawa on the 15th. Crossed canada [via the Rockies, wonderful] by train. Married on the 15th Feb in the middle of a snow storm. Rather wonderful too! Had to wear snow boots and unwrap my flowers in the foyer of the church or else they would have frozen

-- posted by Gay_Klok

Top 22. Apr 26, 2005 5:12 AM

» biogardener - Another reason

There is a good reason why summer holidays in Canada are not likely to get shortened. The 8 weeks give teachers a chance to upgrade themselves. For more summers than I can remember, I spent 6 of the 8 weeks taking university courses toward degrees along with thousands of other teachers. The courses which I took in Germany were only 3 weeks long but more intensive. That way, I was able to spend the other 5 weeks traveling, visiting relatives and friends and mountain climbing.

If the time gets shortened, teachers will no longer have time to upgrade themselves, and the whole summer school university system would collapse. Some teachers take evening of Saturday courses in the winter, but I don't see how you can teach, manage your family, and still take a full university course. I could never have managed that.

-- posted by biogardener

Top 23. Apr 26, 2005 4:15 PM

» Gay_Klok - Re: Another reason

In response to Another reason posted by biogardener:

I think women are wonderful these days - In Australia they still mange the home work, a lot of the rearing of children and work in their professions as well. Of course, they are leaving having their children until much later than my generation [4th child born when I was 30] and the number of little ones are diminished

-- posted by Gay_Klok