school improvements

I feel like all I do these days is moan. But there might be some positive things happening at work. The dyspraxic/visually impared/emotionally disturbed/autistic kid in my class might be moving to a school with a VI unit. And because some of my class are such a nightmare, and it's having an effect on nicer kids, I might be losing one to a different class, and/or getting behaviour support in the class so there is always someone on hand to go after them when they leave the room or kick off. So things might start to improve in the new year!! I might start to like work again. Yippee. And in the meantime, it's giving me some hope that I wont kill one of them.
Then maybe we can start working on the parents....

Candidating - or not

I wonder sometimes if the Methodist Church actually wants more ministers. There I am, all ready to go through the process, which started 2 years ago, only to find it might not happen because of the way they set people up to fail, or so it seems. The paperwork for the process can be accessed from 1st October, and not before. When you get it, you realise the most important thing to do is get your request to candidate in to the office by the end of the month. Fine. Then you find out you have to have TWO observed services - observed by a minister, a local preacher and a senior steward, and before the 15th January. Bearing in mind the services are planned for Oct & Nov back in August - before you can have the paperwork telling you this, and December is mostly booked up by churches as long ago as May, for the gift services, christingle services and carol services, there really isn't much chance of having any sort of observed service this year. Which leaves the 1st 2 Sundays in Jan, if there are enough people that fit the observation criteria available on those 2 days.
So basically, it ain't gonna happen, as I'm only preaching once on the plan till Feb, and thats next Sunday.
Oh well, at least I'll be prepared for next year.

Thursday

I've got 4 friends on facebook now, and have even poked someone!
And I've made a start on Sundays service, hymns phoned through and readers arranged. Just intercessions and sermon to write, so no chance of a long hot bath before I go to college in 45 mins - just realised how late it is. Whoops!
Did get the car washed today. I thought it would be a good way to de-stress on the way home from school. We almost made it to lunch time, but one of my little cherubs kicked off (again) so I had to intervine with a restraint procedure (again) so the class computers weren't trashed. Still, he calmed down quicker than usual this time, so I was only holding him for about 15 mins today, and no bruises either, so that's an improvement. And we did make it through Tuesday without one at all. (He usually kicks off on Tues & Thurs - my 2 half days.) But all is well, because tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!!!!!

On Facebook at last

After naggings from friends at college and work I am finally on facebook. I found some other people I know on there and found out that I can poke them!! The mind boggles. I was told I could throw sheep at Mike but I haven't managed to find out how yet, but I'm sure I will - it's too good an opportunity to miss.
But instead of playing on facebook I should have been working on my U2 essay, or on Sundays service, so I guess I should go and do something constructive now...like get a snack

Our Civil Partnership 20th October 2007

We had the most amazing day last Saturday. The sun shone, everyone looked great, the Merc that picked us up was wonderful, the Registrar was lovely, the ceremony was moving, the Thai restaurant was stunning, the champagne far too strong, the hotel room was amazing, the chips from room service were delicious. Shame about the rugby (that was such a try, but after the bubbly, who cares - it's only a game!!!!!!)

The staff at the restaurant had made the most amazing carvings out of melons, one even had our names on it, and they gave us a card. They promised to make the day special for us, and they did. This pic is us with the cake and the carvings in the Thai. It's called the Jitlada, if you're ever in Luton.
Everybody seemed to have a lovely time and it was really good to have so many friends there to share it with us. It made the day even more special to be able to invite them , and that they wanted to come and celebrate with us.
I am so fortunate to have found someone so very special to spend the rest of my life with, and to have so many friends that are happy for us too.

Just a thought...

...if
buddist - buddism
jewish - judaism
hindu - hinduism
sikh - sikhism

then why not
christian - christianism
muslim - muslimism

?

just wondering whilst writing the RE planning...

What a month

I didn't realise it had been so long since my last blog. A whole month, and what a month it's been.
There are 2 new kids in my class, neither speak any, or very little, English - 1 is from Afgahnistan and speaks Pashto, the other is from Austria and speaks Urdu, and I don't speak either. The boy from Afgahnistan is also probably 7 nearly 8 not 5 like his passport says, but there is nothing we can do about it.
We have also just had our first half terms assesment, so I have all that to mark, level and analyse by the end of tomorrow.
I also have to get next half terms RE planning for the whole school written before I can come home on Friday.
In the sport England have made it to the Rugby world cup final!!!!!!! How did we manage that? I had to go next door last Saturday to complain about the noise during the match. They were watching on terrestrial, us on Sky, which is about 5 seconds behind, so I knew Johnny had put the ball between the posts even before we saw him kick it by the screams of jubilation from the neighbours. But it was OK because we went round for drinks after to celebrate. And they wont be spoiling the final as they will be out, and so will we.
And then there was the F1 - I got up at 6.30am to watch Lewis bring home the World Championship, but he didn't finish so it's fingers and toes crossed for Brazil on Sunday.
And Amir Khan retained his commonwealth title in 4 rounds.
And I have had a birthday, so am now 28 (I like that number, not too young, not too old. 44 is a grotty number, even though it does have a degree of symmetry, it's just too big)
And it's only 4 DAYS till our CP!!!!!!!! Just about everything is sorted now. Just got to pick up the cake on Friday and take it to the restaurant, then get the flowers on Saturday. Then spend the evening in our suite at the hotel watching the match on one of the 2 flat screen TVs - one in the living room , one in the bedroom. I wonder if it's visible from the jacuzzi bath?
Then on Sunday we are flying off to Barcelona, after the Grand Prix, which I will probably finish watching at the airport.
So yes, a busy month since I last blogged. But watch this space for photo's of the big day. No, not the rugby, the other great match !!!!!!!!