Picture courtesy of edubuzz.orgFriday, February 29, 2008
Leap Year
Picture courtesy of edubuzz.org
Thursday, February 28, 2008
How well do you know your teenager?
Courtesy of www.buycostumes.comEvery year I come across parents who have no idea who their children are outside of their home. They believe everything their children tell them and when they find out about their teenagers from their teachers, you can see the stunned and disbelieve looks on their face when you tell them what you see. Some refused to believe the teachers and even accused the teachers of victimizing their children!
This week had been no difference when I had to deal with challenging students and am so mentally and physically exhausted! Parents who believe that teachers are out to find fault in their kids are not living in the real world! We have enough and better things to do then to call home about unacceptable behaviour in our classes! We are bogged down with extra administrative work apart from classroom teaching to waste our time making up stories and trying to reach parents over the phone or by email. In New Zealand, all teachers are entitled to 5 free periods a week and it is so frustrating when we have to waste our free hour away calling home when we could be finding challenging material for talented students! Also there is paperwork or computer involved for all incidents inside and outside the classroom within the school hours.
I have a pre-teen myself and I always encouraged her from her early school years to tell me what her day in school have been like. I can only hope that I know her behaviour at home and in school into her teenage years, too.
So if you are a parent of a teenager, REMEMBER! Their teachers would not contact you unless it is really necessary because their time is limited and if you have to teach over 1oo students a day , they do not have the luxury to make up stories in their free time! Your child must have pulled the wool over your eyes all this while if you think your 'angel' cannot be the 'rat bag' the teacher is describing to you!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
God comes through!
As I mentioned before I will share with my fellow bloggers the miracles God has granted me in the past. Here goes a major miracle!
A few years ago, I was getting ready to go back to Malaysia for our first visit since we left over 3 years ago. I got both our passports together and decided to take a look at my custody papers when I saw a piece of paper which said that my daughter is not allowed to leave NZ! At the time that I got my custody, I did not bother to think twice but this time at 3.45pm on a Friday, I decided to call my lawyer in Hamilton where the custody was finalized, on the matter. He confirmed my fears and that I cannot bring my daughter out tomorrow. He also told me he was too busy to talk further with me as he had to prepare for his court appearance the next day. The only help he gave me was a phone number for Interpol in Wellington and a name to contact.
By the time I called Interpol(my previous experience with Interpol was what I see in movies!) and tried to look for the person I was given, it was closed to 4 pm. To my dismay, he has left for the day. The person who answered my phone call must have sensed my stress and asked if he could help. I told him my situation and he confirmed that my girl's name is in the system and that I could not bring her out of NZ! I was getting desperate so I told him that maybe I could just pretend I did not know and go anyways! I told him that and he said, "You'll be breaking the law! They will stop you at immigration. Then he told me that there may be hope for me yet if I can get a family lawyer and try to lift the order temporary and then do a permanent one when I get back. I thanked him for his suggestion and rang off.
I felt like crying then and pulled myself together and told myself that when has God never come through for me at times of need? So I pulled out the yellow pages and look for a family lawyer.
I found a female one and tried. She has already gone home. Then I tried the next on the list and I managed to talk to her about my situation, She was very calm and said she could file it tomorrow for me but first I have to get a consent fax from her father to lift the order and then if I have a means of receiving a fax in Auckland (where I catch my Malaysian flight) just in case the computer is too slow to catch up on the temporary discharge. Then to come to her office asap after that.
This was about 4.30pm then! I called up my daughter's father in Malaysia and told him to get a faxed letter sent to me to my lawyer's office immediately or he would not get to see his daughter in the next day or so. Then I called my friend in Auckland who happened to have a fax machine at home and asked for her help. She would be glad to help and I was to meet her at the airport for me to get the faxed discharge.
I then rushed to my lawyer's office and the moment I met her, she said," I am trying to get you a miracle here!" It was amazing because that was exactly on my thoughts, too! We then got the fax and she got all my documents and we exchanged cell phone numbers, fax numbers, copies airplane tickets and passport, etc. She told me not to worry and when I asked her about payment for her service, she told me she would bill me when I get back. It was after 5pm when I left her office
The next day we left Dunedin at 8 am, all tensed. I turned on my phone when I got to Auckland to see the text message that the order has been discharged and faxed to my friend in Auckland. When I got to the international airport, my friend was already waiting for me with the copy of the temporary discharge filed a couple of hours ago in Dunedin.
True enough when we get to immigration we were pulled aside and a policewoman was with us for about half an hour while they checked out my faxed copy. By the time, they let us through we were the last into the plane and I managed to call my lawyer to give her my thanks and that I am on the plane. I still never got over how my problem was solved in less than 24 hours!
The experience really strengthen my faith in God as in the end my daughter's father also paid for the lawyer's bill, too, as it was his request that the order was in place.
GOD IS GREAT!
A few years ago, I was getting ready to go back to Malaysia for our first visit since we left over 3 years ago. I got both our passports together and decided to take a look at my custody papers when I saw a piece of paper which said that my daughter is not allowed to leave NZ! At the time that I got my custody, I did not bother to think twice but this time at 3.45pm on a Friday, I decided to call my lawyer in Hamilton where the custody was finalized, on the matter. He confirmed my fears and that I cannot bring my daughter out tomorrow. He also told me he was too busy to talk further with me as he had to prepare for his court appearance the next day. The only help he gave me was a phone number for Interpol in Wellington and a name to contact.
By the time I called Interpol(my previous experience with Interpol was what I see in movies!) and tried to look for the person I was given, it was closed to 4 pm. To my dismay, he has left for the day. The person who answered my phone call must have sensed my stress and asked if he could help. I told him my situation and he confirmed that my girl's name is in the system and that I could not bring her out of NZ! I was getting desperate so I told him that maybe I could just pretend I did not know and go anyways! I told him that and he said, "You'll be breaking the law! They will stop you at immigration. Then he told me that there may be hope for me yet if I can get a family lawyer and try to lift the order temporary and then do a permanent one when I get back. I thanked him for his suggestion and rang off.
I felt like crying then and pulled myself together and told myself that when has God never come through for me at times of need? So I pulled out the yellow pages and look for a family lawyer.
I found a female one and tried. She has already gone home. Then I tried the next on the list and I managed to talk to her about my situation, She was very calm and said she could file it tomorrow for me but first I have to get a consent fax from her father to lift the order and then if I have a means of receiving a fax in Auckland (where I catch my Malaysian flight) just in case the computer is too slow to catch up on the temporary discharge. Then to come to her office asap after that.
This was about 4.30pm then! I called up my daughter's father in Malaysia and told him to get a faxed letter sent to me to my lawyer's office immediately or he would not get to see his daughter in the next day or so. Then I called my friend in Auckland who happened to have a fax machine at home and asked for her help. She would be glad to help and I was to meet her at the airport for me to get the faxed discharge.
I then rushed to my lawyer's office and the moment I met her, she said," I am trying to get you a miracle here!" It was amazing because that was exactly on my thoughts, too! We then got the fax and she got all my documents and we exchanged cell phone numbers, fax numbers, copies airplane tickets and passport, etc. She told me not to worry and when I asked her about payment for her service, she told me she would bill me when I get back. It was after 5pm when I left her office
The next day we left Dunedin at 8 am, all tensed. I turned on my phone when I got to Auckland to see the text message that the order has been discharged and faxed to my friend in Auckland. When I got to the international airport, my friend was already waiting for me with the copy of the temporary discharge filed a couple of hours ago in Dunedin.
True enough when we get to immigration we were pulled aside and a policewoman was with us for about half an hour while they checked out my faxed copy. By the time, they let us through we were the last into the plane and I managed to call my lawyer to give her my thanks and that I am on the plane. I still never got over how my problem was solved in less than 24 hours!
The experience really strengthen my faith in God as in the end my daughter's father also paid for the lawyer's bill, too, as it was his request that the order was in place.
GOD IS GREAT!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Teenagers! What are they thinking?!!!
Every teacher you ask in New Zealand will agree with you that the fourth form boys or Year 10 boys are the most challenging customers we have every year. Somehow that is about the time where their hormones goes beyond control for the majority of the 13 to 14 year old boys.
About a week ago I had to managed a boy (we do not use discipline in NZ anymore) so I had to get in touch with home on his behaviour. Apparently he was given a conversation about how he will end up in jail some day if he does not follow rules and instructions. This 13 year old boy could not for the life of him see where the connection was with his disruptive behaviour in my class! And here it is his family thought that they have impressed upon him the seriousness of his bad behaviour and that he will be better after that heart to heart talk! I only hear a little from the boy's view but was not privy to the whole conversation although I was assured that he was given the 'talk' and he should be better behaved now! NOT! He was just too immature to put 2 and 2 together to make 4! Somehow I think he only got about 2.5...... What was he thinking? What is on Utube, I guess.....
Oh well... I guess I just have to soldier on and hope I win some battles even though I know I will never win the war! We always remind each other that when all else fails, pray for the poor soul!
Balloon Fashion!
Look at these fantastic photos of balloon 'clothing'! WOW! The amount of time it takes to make them and what if one balloon burst! Then the dress or gown does not look quite right!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney
Our school will have a group attending as preparations are on the way leading to July. For many it will be the only chance in their lifetime to celebrate mass with the Pope. And for others, it is just a wonderful opportunity to gather in the millions to celebrate their faith in God.
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