My first days as a Kiwi

I am here! Life is good in New Zealand. Here are a few photos from my first days here in Auckland. My host family took me all around the island, helping me experience a wide variety of things already. We live in Titirangi, a gorgeous and eclectic neighborhood near the bush (forest region) of the North Island called the Waitakere (Y-ta-ku-ree) ranges. Everything is SO green here--there is foliage everywhere, and many people's yards in Titirangi are all green and beautiful.

I arrived on Saturday morning and found out shortly after that Monday was their Labor Day, so I started off on a strong note with a holiday!

I've had 2 days of school so far and to say it's different is an understatement. There are only a few similarities between the school systems (there are kids... and there is learning...). Since the climate is so different here in Auckland, the school layout looks nothing like schools in Wisconsin. There are many small buildings with open doorways and a huge yard / sports area that's used all day long by different classes and activities. All the windows and doors are always open and it's so sunny and beautiful. Students are actually required to wear hats while outside in the spring (now) and summer because of how powerful the sun is here.

During the day, there are three 'blocks' of learning, each an hour long, where it is up to the teacher's discretion of how they will use them. They do literacy, writing, and maths (yes, math's') everyday, and this year at Tirimoana, there is a school-wide art emphasis so they do something with art each day as well. Typically the school-wide emphasis switches between art and science each school year.

Along with the learning blocks, there is school-wide morning tea (basically a snack and recess) and school-wide lunch. All Year 6's (5th grade, which is what I'm teaching) are involved in a swimming unit, so we walk to a nearby school pool everyday and they get lessons. It's vital that all students know how to swim and learn water safety because of New Zealand being an island! Especially on the North Island, which is the smaller of the two islands and has a ton of coastline just around Auckland alone.

There is a lot of physical activity throughout the day for students as well--they have both phy ed and the classroom teachers bring kids outside a lot as well. It's very easy because of the weather!

One other difference is there is no music class- it's up to the classroom teacher if they'd like to incorporate music into their daily classroom lifestyle.

At Tirimoana, all students get tutored in French and Maori (the indigenous Island language) each week, and if parents desire, they can have their children have some more immersive experiences in the language (like a full day pulled from the classroom working on French).

The actual classroom is a pretty small space and we have 30 kids in our Year 6 class! But it really doesn't affect their learning! They are content and such sweet children.

One other thing I've noticed is how even though the windows and doors are open and you can hear all children running around or played outside, the students really don't get distracted! I think we put too much of an emphasis in the US of children being quiet all the time.

That's all for now! This weekend the squad is taking their first excursion to an island off Auckland, which I'm sure will prove to be SUCH a fun time!