Zebra and Murder Mysteries ....

I know it has been a long time since I posted last! Things became very busy at school (as always) and this slipped my mind!

I have been back at school for two weeks since half-term break and it has been non stop! We have started practicing for our Christmas production and busy learning about plants, division, fractions, grammar and much more! Last Monday I was asked by my headteacher to come with him into London to help him recruit teachers through iDay (the event I was hired through). It was fun to sit on the other side of the table and experience something new! I must admit though I did miss my class and wonder how they were doing!! The upcoming week at school is busy as Year 3 prepares for our fabulous finish; an Alice in Wonderland Tea party where we have invited the Year 2 children from the two feeder schools. It will be a busy week as we make decorations and cakes!

Last weekend on Saturday I went into London for Jess's birthday! It was such a nice day and so refreshing to hang out with some girlfriends!! It was Jess, her roommate Robyn and I and we adventured London! We met up at about 11 and bought our tickets for an afternoon show of Stomp! Then we went to Gordons Wine Bar (our favourite) at about noon. We shared 2 bottles of wine and had some delicious cheese and laughed a lot !! I wasn't sure what to expect from Stomp but I was pleasantly surprised! The sounds they could make from ordinary objects was amazing!! After stomp we went to this restaurant where you eat in the pitch black and all the servers are blind. You also don't know what you are eating! I chose the seafood menu, Jess chose the surprise menu and Robyn the meat. I ended up eating squid, scallops, skate wing and sea bass and for the most part it was good! Jess had zebra!!! After dinner we went to The Maple Leaf to meet up with my friends Kayla and Sam who I went to Paris with. To my surprise there was about 7 lovely ladies that were on the same iDay as me randomly at the bar as well! Such a nice surprise reunion. Sadly I had to leave as I needed to catch the last train but it was such a nice day in London with wonderful friends.

Outside Gordons Wine Bar

Christmas is everywhere!

This weekend I stayed in Camberley. On Saturday Marina was hosting a Murder Mystery Party. It was so much fun!! It was a Halloween themed one and I was playing the part of the skeleton "Dee Composed". There was lots of food wine and good memories! I did not end up being the murderer... it was the ghost "Flo Ting". Today I just spent lesson planning and marking (as usual) and getting ready for the week ahead... even though as much time you spend preparing you never truly feel ready for the week!

Belgium.....beer, chocolate and waffles. :)

I am back from my half term break in Belgium! It was such a fun trip and I took tons of pictures!!!

On Monday, I met up with Jess at the airport around 11 am! One of the LSAs from my school was kind enough to drive me to Heathrow and it only took about 25 minutes. We went through security and had time to have a few drinks before our flight to Brussels! We flew British Airways and it is probably the best airline ever. They actually serve you food and booze.... for free!!! Since we were on holiday we decided to have a drink and get caught up after having not seen each other for about a month! The flight was only 55 minutes and then we were in Brussels.

I was surprised at the amount of people who didn't speak English. I also had no idea that the two national languages were French and Dutch. Anyways, we made it to Brussels Central by train and then wandered around trying to find our hostel.... eventually we did!!! We checked in and had to make our own beds. At first I was skeptical about the whole hostel thing but by the end of the week I felt completely comfortable!

Our room!

We wandered up an adorable little street and found a place for dinner and beer! We had some yummy food and tried a whole range of beers.... mainly because we couldn't read Dutch or French and had no idea what anything meant... the whole trip was a kind of surprise! We did find our favourites though.... Hoegaarden!

Tuesday we spend exploring Brussels... which involved a lot of shopping! We went to the Grand Place and went in to a museam and wandering around the city central and shopping on "Monopoly Street" basically just a long street full with our favourite shops. For lunch we stopped and had our first Belgian Waffle... mine with chocolate and Jess got strawberry. We also stopped in a chocolate store and bought a lot of expensive chocolate and stroopwafels! We also went to Laduree... the macaroon shop I went to in Paris and bought some macaroons. We spent more on sweets than we did on our hostel Jess pointed out!!! We were all shopped out and had seen a lot of Brussels and then went back for dinner at the cutest place by our Hostel called Sol! We were pretty tired after dinner so we went to a little shop and bought some beer and relaxed at our hostel and had an early night for our big day in Brugge.

cutest little chocolate shop.

The Grand Place.

SO GOOD.

Wednesday we spent the day in Brugge... the cutest little town/city! It was on a canal and absolutely gorgeous. Except for the fact in POURED all day... but that didn't stop us. We wandered around and went into many little shops and then stopped for a lunch of... waffles! It was so good, I had one with Speculoos on it... a delicious Belgium caramel/peanut butter type paste! We then decided to take a canal tour of Brugge and we learnt a lot and saw another view of Brugge. We took tons of pictures. Then around 3 we decided to settle down in a cafe and have a bottle of wine and cheese. Then we went to another bar and relaxed there as well! We ended up not making it back to the train station until 10 pm and we had left Brussels at 10 am! We made a friend on the train who told us some more interesting bits of Belgium. Now for picture overload.

Morning walk.

it was magical!

Good night Brugge.

The final day was spent in Ghent. Ghent was before Brugge on the train line and only took us about 30 minutes to get there, as opposed to Brugge which took about 1 hour. Ghent was a mixture between Brussels and Brugge we thought... it was right on a canal and had the cute Belgium buildings but was a pretty big city. We walked around, ate lunch right on the canal and took a horse tour around the city! This was a nice way to see Ghent as we were so tired and exhausted from the day before. We didn't spend all day in Ghent, we stayed till around 3 pm.

More canals!!

On top of a castle we went in!

On our horse tour.

That is our Belgium trip summed up into a blog post! It was a nice getaway and much needed. All the hard work at school was worth it to get away for a week!!! Overall, my favourite day was the day we went into Brugge. It was hard to pick though because each day was very different.

HALF TERM!

Finally the day has come!!! We are on half term break and I feel so relaxed already! I have already had such a wonderful break so far and its only been the weekend!

On Friday, all the teachers packed up fairly early! As opposed to the 6:30 that we usually leave school. Three of us went back to my place and cooked a good meal ! We also went to see Gone Girl, which was kind of creepy. It was nice to go to the movies!

This weekend I wanted to make sure to get some odds and ends done and finish my marking before going on holiday. I started to mark books on Saturday morning and cleaned my house. This was interrupted with better plans of going into town for lunch and shopping!! My partner teacher invited me over for dinner at her place Saturday with her and her husband. It was so nice and I feel so welcome! We had a lovely meal and wine and I spent the night. This morning she took me to Wisley Garden,  A Royal Horticulture Garden that was absolutely beautiful... I want to see it in the Spring! We had cappuccinos and carrot cake and then she dropped me back home. I feel really blessed to have met some amazing people.

Today has flown by, I've had so much to do! I needed to finish marking books, do laundry, skype with family and friends and pack for Belgium! Its so hard deciding what to bring but I am slowly working on it! I plan to have an early night tonight as I have a busy week ahead of me! I am meeting up with Jess at 11 at the airport and then we are off to Belgium!!!!! So excited to spend a week with one of my closest friends.... many adventures to be had! I hope the hostel we booked is decent and that its a good location! My next post will be filled with pictures and stories of Belgium I am sure!!!!

xoxoxo

Mini Weekend Vacay!

This was a nice weekend...as opposed to the last few. The past few weekends I worked all day, every day. It was a nice reward after the loooooong week I had.

It was parents evening at school this past week, Tuesday and Thursday night. I would say they were pretty successful, with parents saying how much progress their child has made and how happy they are to come to school now. I need to keep those positive thoughts in my head because that's really what it is all about. Work is extremely busy but only one more weekend left until break in BELGIUM!

This weekend I went to Brighton. Friday night I just relaxed in order to be ready for a 9 am train trip to Brighton. I went with Josh, another teacher from my school. Brighton is on the South coast and it was SO nice to be by the ocean. I want to live there next for sure. We got on the wrong train- I think... because it shouldn't have taken us 4 hours to get there but it did. I think because we missed the announcement saying to get off and bus the rest of the way. But we made it!! We had lunch, beer and wine at a little fish and chips shack right on the beach first. Then we walked down on the pier and through the mini amusement park on the pier. Surrounding the edge of the pier are blue and white striped deck chairs where you can just sit and relax. We must have sat there for an hour just relaxing, watching the ocean and chatting. It was so nice to get away from Camberley and not talk about school. As we were walking off the pier, we saw two people decide to jump.. not a smart idea. It is very high up with a strong current. Anyways, they made it back to shore but got in trouble!

We kept walking down the beach because I wanted to buy a cute picture of Brighton for my apartment... no luck but that's okay! I will just have to go back :) We then went to a bar on the beach and I discovered a new favourite British drink- Pimms. After a drink their we wandered away from shore to the Wetherspoons pub- the chain of pubs around England. We had a few more drinks and dinner and caught a 9 pm train back to Camberley. First we had to go on a double decker bus on the motorway which was kind of scary. And then three trains and finally back to Camberley at midnight. It was a long day but SO nice to explore and be by the sea.

So lovely

The Brighton Wheel.

Our view.

So pretty.

Bar on the beach. 

Two more weeks!!

Half term is ALMOST here! I am so excited for a much needed break!

The past two weeks at school have been insane. I arrive at school at 7, stay till 6:30 and then work some more. Last night I worked straight from 7 pm to 1 am and then all day again today and tomorrow! Assessment is due on Tuesday and we have parent teacher conferences this week! Lots to do and not enough time! Teaching is England is way more paperwork than in Canada. It is stressful, but seeing my class and friendly staff every day makes it worth it!

I have spent the past two weekends in Camberley and it has been so nice. I have been buying things for my house (microwave, freezer, etc.) and some clothes! I hope to go somewhere next weekend, or atleast have a night off with some of my work friends!

I am getting a new student this week... who doesn't speak any English! I am starting to feel more settled now that I have a permanent teaching partner until Christmas. It helps that we can plan our maths, English and topic work together! She is very experienced and is very kind.

Every day my class is becoming less and less shy! A big change from the first day where they were so quiet! Their personalities are starting to show and they keep me laughing all day... as well as frustrated! They mean well and are so eager to learn, I am very lucky!

Apparently when people say Canadians pronounce "about" "aboot" because every time I say about, comments are made! We also say "house" differently as well. Apparently I am getting better though and am starting to loose a bit of my Canadian accent. While face timing with my parents, one of my fellow teachers was over and said that when my mom said "about" was way stronger! I always thought people were exaggerating but I guess not! I am becoming immune to the accents mostly, especially after hearing my name being said a thousand times a day from my kiddos.

Not much else to report on... other than i'm basically a workaholic and loving it almost always!

The count down to Belgium with my best friend in on... can't wait!!

A typical Sunday...

Sundays are always used for lesson planning. All day. And the time always goes by extremely fast!! It is already 2 pm and I have SO much to do before another week with the kiddios begins tomorrow. I was going to go in to town and do some shopping today, but I don't think I will have time!! I need to finish planning, laundry, cleaning my house and getting some groceries from the local Co-op!

The weekend went by WAY to fast. Friday night, I went out to dinner with another teacher from school to a new restaurant in Camberley called Bills. It was so good!! Then we went to a pub for a bit but were both so exhausted from the week we decided to call it a night.

Saturday morning I went to London to meet up with Jess! We went to the Tower of London and explored in their for over an hour! So much history. Finally, I was able to see the poppy exhibit for the anniversay of the World War. There are almost 1 million ceramic poppies around the outside of the tower. It was amazing and so so pretty. You can buy the poppies for 25 pounds and they send them to you after the exhibit stops. I am not going to buy one but it did look really cool.

Then, we went to buy tickets for a theatre show... we decided on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We then explored around Covent Garden where all the shops were. Then, naturally we found ourselves looking for a wine bar for dinner. We didn't go to an actual wine bar but we did find a nice restaurant with tapas style plates. We shared a few and split a bottle of wine. So good to spend time with a close friend from home! Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was SUCH a good choice! We both really enjoyed it. After the show we parted ways to different train stations and made our way home.

Pretty much everyday I have been face timing somebody from back home and it is so wonderful. If ever I feel homesick I can just pick up the phone and somebody is always there. The time change makes it a bit tricky but last night I was able to face time three people because I was home so late! Anyways I have too much work to continue this post. Until next time :)

Caterpillars and Butterflies

This has been a calmer week at school. No special visitors and no more open house days! We had a lot of fun last Friday and all of the children loved the teachers costumes. We are continuing to work on settling in to routines and I am so lucky to have such a lovely class. Since we are learning all about the life cycle of butterflies/caterpillars, which fits perfectly in to our theme, one of the children brought in a caterpillar today! He is big and green and we named it Ash, since we are Ash Class!! The children and I both think it is so interesting, and it looks as though he is starting to turn into a Chrysalis! It was an exciting day in Year 3 and the children will be so excited to see him tomorrow.

This week, I have been spending 12 hours at school everyday and coming straight home to plan some more. It is a lot of work but I love it! And it is keeping me busy so I don't get as homesick. A fellow teacher and I went to Tesco last night (like a SuperStore) and we bought some clothes and candy and crackers! Tomorrow is curry night- obviously.

On Saturday I am going in to London with Jess and her roommate. We are going to the Tower of London and then to see a play at night!

It is so crazy that next week is October ! Where has the time gone. I have started wearing boots to school this week as it is starting to get chilly in the morning. For the most part though the weather is beautiful and I couldn't ask for better weather! It has been sunny and only rained briefly today.

Time flies when you're having fun!!

It is SO crazy to think that exactly one month ago I left Canada for my new adventure.

I could not be happier here. Everything (so far!) has been absolutely amazing and I am so thankful for my wonderful students, staff and new friends I have made.

Some highlights: For the past two Wednesdays, a LSA at my school has invited a fellow teacher and I over for dinner and wine at her place. I have met her whole family and they are so welcoming. She has dinners/events every Wednesday and I am so happy she invites me. It is so much fun that we don't even realize the time and I find myself leaving around 10... which is late for a teacher!!!

Thursday curry night is my favourite thing. Ever. 4 pounds for a huge curry meal and a cider.

Last weekend, I went to Paris with two lovely ladies I met back in June at the interviews. We went to see the Beyonce and Jay Z concert!!!! We flew out of London Friday after work and arrived late to Paris. After a 1:30 am Wine and cheese run, we made it back to our hotel around 3:30 and planned to wake up early to sight see the next day. We actually did end up waking up early and explored Paris. We went to the Eiffel Tower and Champs-Elysees. We had lunch at a restaurant with a view straight to the Eiffel Tower... .it was expensive but so worth it. After filling up on macaroons, we went to get ready for the concert. It was AMAZING and there was 75 000 people there! On Sunday, we did some more exploring and then it was time to fly home. It was a whirlwind weekend but so much fun!!

This week at school has been INSANE. I feel like I am constantly playing catch up. It is an exciting week so far with lots of visitors from the trust and various head teachers. Tomorrow is the "re-opening" of our school as part of the trust. In the afternoon, parents are invited to come into classrooms and participate in activites with their children. Then we have an assembly where the mayor will speak as well as our headteacher. Then as a surprise, students have been working so hard practicing a song to sing to their parents. And as a surprise to the students, all staff are dressing up based on their theme. With mine being Wonderland, I am definitely going as Alice!! They also don't know that every staff and student is being given a balloon and we are all releasing them in the back field at the same time. It will be an exciting day in our school! Media will be covering the event, so I will post a link if I can find an article.

I just can't get over how well everything is going over here. I am settled in and loving my new life. I miss my friends and family but luckily my little ones at school keep me busy and keep me smiling and laughing all day! :)

Best Macaroons Ever.

At the concert!!!

Soooo many people. 

I survived my first week!

A lot has happened in the past week and a half since I last posted.

Some highlights:
- Moved into my new house and LOVING IT
- Started the school year and got to meet the lovely 26 seven year olds that I will be spending the year with
- Had adventures in London with Jessica and Rihana
- Getting to know the amazing & supportive staff I have around me at the school.

I will start with my house... I am so in love. It is only a five minute walk to my school which I appreciate every morning when I don't have to get up as early! It also provides flexibility when I leave the school at the end of the day.. I am not tied down by a bus schedule. Here are some pictures!

It is the perfect size for me and I already feel very comfortable here.

On Sept 3rd, I started teaching and met my class of year 3s :) They are all so sweet and I was very impressed by their kindness and willing to help. I have 25 children in my class and I know it is going to be a great year. We spent this week having a "Stunning Start" which involved a lot of activites around the theme of Wonderland. We made mini caterpillars, decorated tea cups, worked as a team to create giant flower collages and a giant caterpillar. We went on a scavenger hunt to find out who stole the tarts in Alice in Wonderland. We also spent Friday afternoon watching the film (have to get used to saying film) and had our weekly celebration ceremony in the hall (gym) with the other years. This week we are starting with our English and Maths plan and doing more theme work. 

Decorating my classroom was a lot of work but SO much fun and I am so happy with the outcome. It will continue to look better as we put examples of work up on display. 

Our reading area.

This is the rabbit hole that the children have to crawl through. They love it!

Front of the class.

I am so thankful to be working with a staff who are so kind and supportive, not only professionally but personally as well. The LSA (learning support assistant) in my class is fabulous and we get along great. I have made so many friends on staff already and so thankful that some of them live so close to me! 

Last Saturday, I had such a fun day in London with Jess and Rihana. We went to a wine bar in a cave and then met up with the other Engage teachers at a bar for some drinks. So blessed to share this experience with familiar faces from Winnipeg. 

Decided to take one of these instead of the tube.

I have a lot of exciting trips planned. I'm going to Paris next weekend for the Beyonce and JayZ concert! I leave Friday right after work and am meeting up with two girls I met on my interview trip back in June from Newfoundland. We are flying into Paris from Gatwick and will spend the weekend there! So excited.

I just booked my October holiday to Belgium with Jess! Neither of us really cared where we went to we tried to find the cheapest flights and it led us to Belgium! 

I am missing my friends, family and life back home but have had the opportunity to connect with them via face time and skype. I am already loving my life here and my school. I could see myself staying here for a while (sorry Mom!) 

Lots of love from England xoxo