To my fellow colleagues, this I need to share… Well, today my friends, I was very proud to be a Senior Teacher at WoodLinks State School. Today we held our second Art Show and WOW! How this event has developed so quickly. Let me tell you a little about my day! I arrived at school at 615am, tired after a busy week. I arrived to open gates, which is an often occurrence. I opened my classroom door, the lights were on and the kettle had just finished the boil. R U Okay? - I felt loved. I unloaded the car, set up my things for the BBQ organisation and then headed up to Admin to see how I could be of help. Headmaster (C) gave me a few quick jobs and told me that student (B) and younger student (K) were walking to school and that she had seen them walking to school around 7am. We have to be a good place for them to walk in our direction at that time of day. (C) and I pottered and then hooked the two boys as they had “to come to our assistance, as we really needed their help!” It was great to hear (K’s) spin on the feelings of the day. He was excited, full of advice and full of compliance. This in itself, is evidence of the work that we call The WoodLinks Way. Pity his compliance fell off during the day, but no doubt he was tired and had lost his coin. Amazing the smile one gets when the lost $2 was borrowed from the takings. Although needing a little guidance, this young man is walking a different, and less bumpy, path. A credit to our school. The school started to awake and I spent time in my room preparing for BBQ orders and how we were going to embrace and tackle the day. There was a Buzz in the air, and it was great to see the arriving students enjoying the Buzz. If I recall correctly I dont think I really noticed a Buzz with our previous year’s show (being our first). This demonstrated to me the growth of The WookLinks Way. The committee has remained strong and has moved to higher ground. This then led to 6A, 6/7A, Dan, myself… and our other ‘adopted’ helpers, to head across to the Hall. Then the Art Show began…… Our Senior students, with badge and without, carried the school well. Comments were made about how these students represented the “cream on the cake” that is WoodLinks. “Highly Impressed!” was remarked. Setting up, cleaning up, holding this, holding that while moving that…. You get the drift. Never did any of them question or refuse direction – both to task or movement. In two years, Our Art Show has caught up to the standard of other schools that have steeped traditions. Our other student leaders stepped up to the mark. The potential Sustainability Leaders of the future took hold of the BBQ and together with our Groundsman Mr B delivered. I think too often we get too busy to stop and appreciate what we have. We have a Grounds man who lives up to the title ten fold. Compassionate, dedicated, grateful, funny and worthy. A perfect human and a perfect fit for WoodLinks! From the Sustainability Leaders, Mr B was able to point to the “go getters.” He was impressed by the standard of helpers. It may seem strange to celebrate the success of an Art Show and then write about the BBQ. I started here because this was a little circle of ‘wonderfulness’ that simple evolved. It is even more special, because they were from Year 4 and 5… AND even more so… Because, student (J)[5a], had a great day with his … “Cooking Team.” This little dude was quite radical in his zest to shine while doing the things he connected with. Every Monday lunch-time I have the room open and I get to put my feet up on the table with (J) while we have our “Man-chats!” Our “Man-chats” started one day when a crying, lonely boy was being “BLAHHED” by another child. I walked across and said, “I am not going to be rude like (?), why don’t you come and have chats in our Boy-World. (Mr Marstella, being a prac student, and I were just eating lunch in the room). This is now a bit of a school event now as (J) and I have lunch together, on a Monday. He knows this is my Special Lunch Time as it is the one lunch-timein my week where I don’t have duty (and that it not a dig at the duty roster). No one can measure the amount of joy a small, slightly insignificant gesture can have. I look forward to my lunch and surprisingly, I leave feeling richer and slightly refocused on why I became a teacher. I leave with a sense of, “that was nice!” I loved the look on his face today, as he caught my on my fleeting dashes- purely to keep me up to date with BBQ news. I get to see him far removed from the upset boy sitting on our footpath that day. I have no doubt that if I said to him today, “R U Okay?”…..he would have replied with something like “freaking awesome”… if he could articulate it like that. Now, during our lunches, other students are often pottering around - and the two of us chat about life at (J’)s level like there is no tomorrow. Today, our School Captains stepped up to the mark. Many times today I had that little spine-tingly feeling that I hope other teachers get when they are proud of their students. My first when (T) started to talk. My, how this young lady demonstrates her beauty and her growth in confidence. In the proceeding days to the Art Show, (T) has worked maturely and creatively, while giving up her mornings; 730am – 830am, Mosaicing like a Master. It was a pleasure sitting around the Mosaic board with her and our other students. I am a morning person and I love nothing more than being able to be in my room and be there for when the students arrive. Our days were off and running building foundations, while the rest of the school slowly awoke. Much of today’s success goes to Our Organisers, and you know who you are. You did a great job. You planned, tweaked, created and recreated. This demonstrated their ability to live up to our mantra, “Do Whatever It Takes!” I refuse to list our organisers, for fear of accidentally leaving anyone off. That said though, Tracy, you did a magnificent job. To look so great, well, we all know that there are countless hours and moments of “BLAAAAAHHHHHHGHGHGHGH!” to deliver the goods. Well done. Our Administrative Staff are often behind the scene, but it was lovely to alter the management of the school office so that they too got to see the culminating benefit of the work they contribute. Our Teacher Aides, for who I proudly hold high regard, also worked manically, without question, while the foundations of the Art Show strengthened. Well done! I was aghast at the number of “Staff Donated Items” – and more so at the standard of the work. A further example of the many talented teachers who shine outside of the classroom/school area! Each element and piece of work added another dimension for students and parents. This act too will add to our wonderful school culture. I felt bad that I did not think so many people would get behind creating items. I actually read over it without giving it much though. I was consumed with our class mosaic board and it was only in the final days I saw the greatness of what other staff were creating and contributing. When I realised, I knew I could not deliver something good for this show. This is why Peter and I have donated the board, tiles, adhesives and grout. This is our contribution to further enhance the school culture a little bit. Our cleaners are in a class of their own. I would love nothing more to see the Art Show become the event of the year. If the direction was appropriate, what a fun event to acknowledge the growing group of our staff who work behind the scenes. SongRoom, Jetstar and Giuliano certainly added an exciting and special moment to the overall picture. No other school got to clap to our Jetstar feature. We did, and pardon the language, if felt Bloody Good! Another tingling moment. Although small in numbers, our P & C members and volunteers did a great job too. They too contributed and did their thing quietly on the side. When Claire and her Choir sang – it was impossible to hear them! Which is not indicative of their standard of voice. We could not hear them because we, as a school gathering, gave a choral response or joint reading. This song is worthy of being our school song. The words are apt, it is repetitive (which helps the younger members of our school). Imagine the power it would give, and the message it would send, if our school joined in song with gusto are semi-regular events. Without a doubt, the contribution made, and the directions given by our Principal, Cath have certainly assisted the direction our school events take. At the end of the day, Cath has to wear the outcomes of such events and like us all, she too shows pride and provides a platform where our organisers can meld to produce such great school events. I will raise at the next staff/curriculum committee the suggestion that we create a new title to the Art Show/Expo. I think it would be appropriate to slightly alter the title to something like, “Our Art Show!” The word “Our” representing the many people, who from all over the place, contribute to “Our Art Show!” and the culture of our prestigious school calendar event. I know I have digressed, and there may well be typing errors, but I wanted to pen my appreciation for the “work-related” contributions that make up my life. I would like to also acknowledge the people who make our WoodLinks Family and the satisfaction it bring to my life. Today I left the Art Auction empty handed, as I hadnt managed to buy a thing as the bidding for the Dragon Fly was fierce!!! DAMN YOU OTHER MAN!.... When I left today, I left with more that an art piece - I left with a richer sense of pride and satisfaction for our school and those with form its foundations. Cheers everyone, one week to go.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 11:25:33 +0000
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