A Whole Day of Science in the SUN!

I spent Wednesday 3rd November with Mr Lancaster and Mr Swan out and about around Dunsborough. We did some work on sustainability and have discussed making some links between the UK and Australia. Then I was taken to see Science in the Natural environment around here - I saw a granite outcrop with a great view of Geographe Bay, walked through an ash covered bush area to reach some limestone caves, found a blue tongued bobtail and swam on a natural limestone reef at Yallingup. All in all a great day!



Granite outcrop - not even many Australians know about this area!



Mr Swan and Miss Brown



Walking through a controlled burn area. The ash on the ground was quite hot and at the top of the hill apparently a bush fire was burning. If you look closely you can see me getting scared by a tree branch!



Yallingup - we did some swimming to look at the natural reef. The reef creates great surf and makes the beach really popular, although this picture makes it look like i'm all alone in the Indian Ocean!

Limestone caves - nice and cool out of the blazing sun!

Blue tongued bobtail - a native Aussie Species. We found him in the toilets so were
 returning him to the sun to soak up some rays and warm up!

They have Top Gear Australia. Its not as good!

Just watched a Jeremy Clarkson lookalike commentate on the Stig's lap and an Aussie celebrity race around in a Ford Falcon pick up truck. They have the lap times, the interviews and some jokes.

Not as good as the original.

Mr Sweet

A successful skype from Australind to Preston and teaching a lesson in Australia

The chance to link up with the Year 11 assembly through Skype and speaking to both Mr Bloxham and Mr Moise today was amazing. I had hoped to be able to do this and my thanks to Mr Moise and Mr Adams for making this possible. It was really strange to see you all in the Main Hall from the home of my host family and well done to all of you in Year 11 for listening and contributing to a first in my time at Preston School! I was very proud of all of you.

Today was all about visiting classes and Ms Brown was busy her end in Maths, Science and Japanese. I was sitting in on lessons in History and Geography whilst meeting many of the students. They are incredibly similiar to Preston students, same issues, same attitudes and generally really good students with Aussie accents. Got a chance to teach a History lesson which I have wanted to do since we came to Australind and ended the day visiting Mr Peace's relatives who kindly invited us to dinner. A good day.

Mr Sweet    

Australind Senior High School (ASHS)



From L - R Top: Student Area, Plenty of drinking water, Science Lab
Bottom: The Oval (Sports Field), Japanese Peace Mural, Outside Classroom



Photo Album - Sunday 31st October (But there are about 300 more!)

Surfs Up!

 To say we've covered a huge amount of Australia would be a lie! We feel like we've covered a huge area on our tour but when you look at a map we've not even scratched the surface! We went on a cape to cape tour of the tip of the south west of Western Australia with Mr Slavin and his wife. We've seen forest (with trees so tall photographs do not do them justice) ocean (two of them infact - indian and southern) cliff tops (at Yallingup and Previlly Park), towns (at Dunsborough, Margarets River and Augusta) and beaches, (where sharks have been sighted in the past). All of it was brilliant (or as Mr Slavin and Mr Sweet would say - fantastic!) Hope you enjoy the photographs that I've posted they really don't do it justice - Australia is a place you need to see - put it on your travel list now!

Sunday 31st October - Yallingup, Western Australia

12 hours, Margaret River, a Lighthouse and a Surfing awards ceremony?

Just got back from a tour of Margaret River that started at 9am this morning. Mr Slavin, the Principal and his wife gave us a guided tour of virtual all on South western Australia. Long distance mean nothing to Western Australians and today they proved it. We must have covered 300 miles all the way from Bunbury to Augusta (3 hours south) We couldn't have asked for better hosts. They were exceptionally kind to us. The weather is getting warmer- and the Ashes coverage getting more tense. The England team have landed in Perth and are practising for 3 weeks here before flying to Queensland. The Aussies don't rate their chances and Ponting is in for a sacking should they loose the first test Mr Farmer reckons. I agree with him. He knows!

We stopped off at Dunsborough (I had last been there with a very heavy backpack in 1997) and Mr Slavin directed us to the beach. Spectacular-very blue and virtually deserted. Then we had lunch at a very nice winery. We drove and drove to the very tip of the South west corner of Australia where the Indian and Southern Ocean meet. Then we headed to the Geographe National Park - a bit off track and I swear we got lost a couple of times- and then I thought we would head back. No - off to Previlley Park for tea and Margaret River for dinner and then home 12 hours after we started out. A long day but really wonderful.

The photos will be posted on the blog tomorrow and please can all Year 11 Academic Mentors show their students this blog this week. It would mean alot as we have updated it every day and Ms Brown says we can see how many people (family and friends) are accessing the blog (nearly 70 so far) We want to break 200 so tell your friends and neighbours!

Good night

Mr Sweet

Kangaroos and Cyclones!

The Kangaroo story. I am very fortunate to be staying with an Aussie family who live in the country. Last night they drove me out to a Land Sale (they have them everywhere here) and well, it was like going on an Australian Safari. There was a large pride, gang, group of them - one with a joey in her Mum's pouch, none boxing but what a sight!

Next Mr Farmer drove us through his neighbourhood in his massive 4X4 Landcruiser telling the story of the time a cyclone hit Australind carried away that house, missed that one, uprooted those trees, missed that roof and literally you could see the path of the cyclone wrecking the place. I am staying 2 houses down from a house destroyed by a hurrcane. I haven't ask when huricane season is and don't want to know!-- Mr Sweet

Ozzy TV, Neighbours and why they love BBC on ABC

We have been able to watch a bit of Australian TV- there are adverts every 10 minutes, and they are very funny. They can make anything seems really amzing including tiles, carpet, and Lipton Ice Tea by Hugh Jackman. Mike hates Neighbours and Home and Away "daggy", and Australian Bill as "just trying too hard". Australia's version of Deal or No Deal is one of the most popular TV programmes, its seen as a comedy over here. And BBC programmes are showed every night.

Mr Sweet

  

Barbeque, camp fire and marshmellows...The last thing I thought I would say 4 weeks ago is...Is that a Kangaroo interrupting us toasting marshmellows on bonfire night?

Deep in the Australian bush under the Southern Cross, the bonfire was burning fiercely from the gum trees cut down after days of hardwork at my host family. Then, we heard kookaburras laughing, as the sun set over the Indian Ocean and we exchanged stories about life in Australia, Britain and discussing how the Pommies were going to get flogged by the Aussies in the Ashes (Story by Mr Sweet and Mr Farmer)

Now over to Graham Farmer....

G-day ow ya goin?  I have had to put up with your teacher (Andrew) for a whole week. Not a bad sort of bloke for a Pom.
Just thought we would finish off the week sitting and talking around a bonfire exchanging views of the world. There are no clouds in the sky tonight and we managed to find the Southern Cross (there's a project for you to find out what the Southern Cross is).
I cooked him up a nice scotch fillet and sausages and afterwards we toasted marshmallows on the hot coals.
I am not a teacher.  That is my wife's field. I work in the mining industry as a Customer Support Manager for the Caterpillar dealership in Western Australia.

Outstanding day as summer has come early to Western Australia- 30 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Mr Farmer dropped me off in Bunbury via KFC where Mike works and headed straight for the coffee shop for breakfast. Ms Brown and I decided to have some time off as it was the weekend and hit the shops to buy presents for our families back home. A Saturday on Bunbury beach was amazing. Mike said the beach was alright, bit busy, average waves- it was virtually deserted. Breathtaking.

Tonight, Mr and Mrs Farmer invited me to a barbeque in front of the campfire that we made on the last night of burning till April. Then kookuburra started up and Mr Farmer listed the deadliest animals and reptiles in Western Australia. We then saw a kangaroo by the shed no more than 20 yards away looking at us! Unbelievable!  

Mr Sweet    

Bring on the Beach!




Bunbury - Saturday 30th October 2010



 We've spent the day on the beach and generally being tourists.  



 





The weather here is HOT! (well by British October standards!)

  

That's a school worth $100 million?

Today Ms Brown decided that school started at 1pm! Mr Sweet was meeting the Executive chairman and Principal to discuss Gap Analysis and build a culture of success as a new Principal at 8.30am. Ms Brown was sightseeing. Mr Sweet was meeting the Deputy Head to discuss assessment, reporting and recording at 10.30. Ms Brown arrived at Bunbury school with a tan!

I joke. This week has been "full on" and today we were overwhelmed by the scale of Bunbury Senior High School. This is a school that could be a tourist attraction! The views were spectatcular and take note Year 11, the students were polite, smartly dressed and happy to be at school. We were given a 1 hour tour of the school that nearly lasted 2 hours and saw this

1. A fully fledged garage with car maintenance taught to Year 10 and 11
2. A Science lab that Ms Brown fell in love with- I mean it had the latest equipment
3. The best IT facilities I have ever seen including a green screen cinema at the back of the room.
4. 6, yes 6 Rs which added risk taking and relationships.
5. The finest library and conference centre that I have ever seen.

The Principal drove me home and was kind enough to tell me why his school was so successful, the secret...happy students

Mr Sweet

Road Trip!

We've had a great day today! The day started with Year 11 Assembly - Mr Sweet was clapped and they even laughed at his jokes! We then spent the rest of the day with Mrs Beelitz the Senior School Co-ordinator who took us firstly to Bunbury to see an automotive project called ShedWorks, and then took us to Busstleton to see the alternative programmes they have at the Senior High School. We finished the day with a late lunch at a great restaurant - and being true Brits we both ordered the fish and chips, although not sure they serve locally caught whitebait in the UK. The weather is beautiful today and looks set to get hotter by the weekend and into next week - sorry to rub it in!

Did someone say snake?



Anyone ever seen a sign like this in the UK?
Reassuring huh?



New day, New school!

 Hi there! Or should it be G'day. Actually I don't think I've heard an Australian say g'day yet!  We've had a really busy last few days. Mr Sweet has spent lots of time at Australind talking to the deputy heads and governors about Preston and the differences with Australind. Miss Brown on the other hand did have a bit of time to catch up and feels much less jet lagged now! We spent the afternoon at Bunbury Senior High School, just check out that view! Not sure many people would concentrate on their lessons if the view was of the Indian Ocean! They have assemblies outside as well, now honestly how many of you would concentrate on my assembly if I was competing with the ocean? At Bunbury they also have some important R words - they have 6 Rs! They use them in a slightly different way than we do at Preston but it was really odd to come to the other side of the words and to be comparing the different uses of words beginning with R! Tomorrow we are off visiting with the Senior School co-ordinator and then I can't quite believe that it will be the weekend - time flys!

Miss Brown from Bunbury



Mr Sweet and the Principal of Bunbury SHS.



Would you listen in assembly if this was the view?
The view from Bunbury SHS of the Indian Ocean!



A few pictures!

Sunrise over Australia from the plane.

Bunbury

Mr Sweet giving a presentation to Senior High School Headteachers

An Amazing Japanese lesson!

Australiand SHS is uncannyly similiar to Preston with many of their teachers a carbon copy of our own staff. They are absolutely committed to raising attainment and very data and reward driven. On the first day, we have been privileged to observe a Japanese lesson with a difference. The teacher was teaching in his office with 3 students next door online using a word recognition software tool that Mr Moise and Mr Broad would have loved. The fourth student was online signing in at a certain time from a town close to Broome 450 miles away!

An amazing lesson!

Day 2- Finding Mike, meetings and no jetlag!

Survived the flight and was really struggling throughout the Monday. My host family, Jenny and Graham and their sons, Mike and Steve could not be more welcoming. Ms Brown is with another host family in the country somewhere between here and Bunbury, and probably a little relieved she hasn't got to be with me all the time.

We were both at school by 7.30 this morning for our first Senior meeting with the Head, Deputies and Jenny in suit, tie and realised very quickly the dress code was much more relaxed- no tie needed, some staff were wearing shorts! We met with the Departmant of State Principal Consultant- great job title- today with a lot on assessment and how to track progress, so we were able to log on to SLP and Fronter today (Mr Broad hopefully will be pleased, and share our school reports). 

So far, it feels all very similiar to Preston but 10,000 miles away! Lots of staff were doing the same things we do. Students here are still being rewwarded house points and being pulled up for litter, and uniform. The best things so far that I have seen, a lesson in Japanese with students video conferencing- to a teacher (3 next door and online, and a fourth 400 miles away in northern WA. Staff socials every Friday, DUX awards- for the most outstanding student given the chance for a scholarship to college worth $4000, and learning how to conditional format and photoshop.

Ms Brown is probably despairing of me as I am speaking to everyone and learning lots. 

    

First news from Australia!

We've made it to Oz! Landed yesterday morning at 6.00am both of us very tired - in fact I even fell asleep in the car during the journey to Australind! Had a great tour of the school you'll all be surprised to see both how similar and how different it is to Preston! I think you'd find the uniform very different! I'm staying by the sea in Bunbury it was great to wake up after an early night with a view of the sea from my bedroom window! Weather is warm (sorry to hear it's cold in the UK) we're of to a musical spectacular tonight at the school to see the students performing we'll let you know more tomorrow!

Miss Brown

Greetings from Singapore!

Leg one of the journey complete! It started with thunder and torrential rain at Yeovil train station and finished with muggy but fine weather in Singapore! Plane journey was great - lots of food and movies (including eclipse - which even Mr Sweet watched!) When we arrived we caught the MRT (like the London underground)  into the city and walked for miles, taking in all the sights, including the Youth Olympics Park, (Singapore was the first city to host these games earlier on this year). We're now back at the airport waiting for our next flight which will take us to Perth and then Mr Slavin (from Australind School) will complete our journey by driving us south to Australind. Very tired, but its definitely worth it - i'm certainly looking forward to a snooze on the plane!

Miss Brown from Changi Airport, Singapore.

This is our second blog from Changi Airport with another 6 hour flight. We left home yesterday morning and we are still not there! Amazing to return to Singapore after 26 years (yes that means I'm older than 26) In a sentence, Singapore is incredibly clean (no litter anywhere), loves cricket and has every possible form of transport going. 

The highlight for me so far is walking the Grand Prix track and ending up in the Fullerton Hotel!

A brillant city in 6 hours.

Mr Sweet (suprisingly also) from Changi Airport

 

So where are we going?

We're flying over 10,000 miles to visit Australind Senior High School in Western Australia. The trip aims to strengthen the links between Preston and Australind, and we hope as many of you as possible will get involved with and interact with the trip.