It’s a small world after all

The thing about living in a teeny tiny village like the one where we do is that there is a teeny tiny School that goes with it. We are now almost the whole way through Term one and it’s been a steep learning curve for all of us. Routines, homework, after School activities, newsletters, notes, new friends, payments, lunches and of course dealing with the exhaustion from all of it from of the youngest kid in the School. Daisy has done so well this term, she has grown up, she is learning to read and her writing has come in leaps and bounds. It’s been an amazing process to follow and I am immensely proud of how she has gotten on with the whole thing – with confidence, with a positive attitude, with concentration and effort – what else could you ask for?

Yesterday at School, like many others across the country, we celebrated Harmony Day. A day for kids to dress up, eat some different food, recognise and celebrate diversity and have some fun along the way. Some of the Mum’s had a great time yesterday morning setting up the food for the kids – we all managed to cook something from the world – some Chinese, Indian, French, Mexican, Spanish, Chilean, Japanese, Italian, Vietnamese, Australian – our teeny tiny School managed to pull off an impressive display for some country kids to enjoy and the kids devoured the lot.

I have many, many years of Schooling ahead of me. Saturday sport, projects, excursions, class concerts – if this wonderful School is the start of it for the kids and us, then we are very lucky indeed. A place filled with kind, polite children (all 33 of them), some amazingly cool, smart and interesting parents who make me laugh every day at Assembly and pick up, teachers who are dedicated to the kids and the most beautiful setting with rolling green hills as their playground. Yes, this will do alright by us.

And what kind of Macdonald’s would we be if we didn’t trot out some Scottish national dress? Or in this case some borrowed stuff from one of the other Mum’s and Rob’s sporran thrown on for good measure…it kind of worked!

Comments

  1. Beautiful post Beth. A good school, with happy kids and great parents really matter. And really make a difference in your families happiness. Love her.. she looks awesome little scot. Good to hear you happy and positive.. Lou xx

  2. It is a small world, I bumped into a childhood friend from the Blue Mountains in Hanoi, Vietnam.

    So freaking small!

    Look at Daisy! What a sweetheart! She’d make any Scot proud 🙂

  3. Gorgeous. I had a similar post in my head this morning about my girl, I’m so proud of how she’s done this term. xx

  4. What else could you ask for – indeed. Happy days.

  5. She does look very cute in the tartan!
    Your school sounds so similar to ours. We’re also in a tiny village with a school of 35. School assemblies (daily) are like a community catch up and being small there is a lot to do voluntary wise. But I think our kids are so lucky to have a small school where everybody knows everybody. There is a kitchen garden, music classes and woodwork. So i don’t think they miss out. Quite the opposite.

  6. Absolutely gorgeous. I always felt that moving from teaching at a secondary school of 800 to a Prep-12 school of 60 kids to be the best decision I ever made. They definitely don’t miss out, in fact I find that they have more opportunities and more personalised one on one teaching. I can’t wait for my own Little Lion to be part of this special school.

  7. Oh mums trying hard… I love it SO much.

  8. I love the idea of a tiny school. I’m sure I had more than 33 kids in my class!

  9. Oh BLESS her tiny heart and her tiny school! Daisy is so cute all dressed up like that!! What a great idea and what a lovely environment. Maybe I should move there and we can say that there are 36 in the school?!!

  10. I think the school sounds just perfect. Daisy looks super happy too. Lovely. x

  11. Is it just me, but she looks like she’s really shot up. Gotten thinner. Turned into a girl. Lost her toddler bits.

    Oh, they grow up soooo fast! Love the kilt, by the way.

    How did you do first term. I totally sucked at being a school mum!

    http://www.kympiez.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/school-learning-curve-for-parents.html

  12. By the way, your school sounds deee-lightful. xx

  13. Beautiful images from a beautiful part of the county, sounds like a great tiny school too.

  14. Harmony Day looked very harmonic! Gee the nosh at school has become better I see… what a cutie!

  15. Funny reading this post!
    You seem to praise yourself a lot on all the marvelous things you do for your children, but when I read the rest of your blog, you constantly complain about them, how they keep you up all night etc.. Must be hard not to be able to choose between your precious self and your precious children !

  16. We have just gone from a school of 170 to 28. My girl loves it, and there are so many good things about growing up in a small community.

  17. Oh dear re Sandra’s comment above….parenting is REAL.
    real HARD.
    real TIRING.
    real TRYING.
    and
    really goddamn AWESOME.
    I totally get why you talk about all that stuff.
    cause. it. is . real.
    not funny at all.
    xx

  18. A beautiful post that celebrates your little school and it’s beautiful community. Starting school is a big step for children and parents too! Well done for supporting both school and your gorgeous daughter so well. Amazed that there are people out there dopey enough to leave such useless and rude comments as Sandra. Something must be missing in her life which is sad. Xo

  19. What a sweet school! You make this country life sound more and more appealing with every post.
    I love the beautiful support network you seem to have too. And little Daisy looks like she’s taken to school life perfectly.
    You deserve to smile… And you deserve to whinge. You’re a wonderful Mum. Don’t let anyone (Sandra/Sally) tell you otherwise. xxx

  20. It’s a lovely feeling to find a school that’s the right fit.

    Not sure what Sandra gets from trolling but take heart it speaks volumes about her and nothing about you.

    Your blog is a perfect snapshot if parenting – the good, the tiring, the lovely and the horrible.

  21. Hahaha Sandra sucks.

  22. It sounds like a dream school lady, lucky indeed. Looks like a beautiful day for harmonious fun and frivolity… and Daisy, oh my, what a gorgeous gal xo

  23. Loving the highland attire.. being Scottish myself and all that.. looking forward to the Highland Games at Bundanoon… bring it on.. I was hugely disappointed that my kids school didn’t celebrate Harmony Day – it is now high on my list of things to change for 2013.

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