Where it Happens Wednesday!

Friends, we are down to the wire!  Again, ignore that it's actually Monday and about 5 days late.  Honestly, I was working so hard getting the room ready for tomorrow that all other things were pushed aside.  It's all about grace around here- right?  I also didn't want to post unfinished status photos (that would be my OCD and pride talkin' right there!).  This is my 5th room to set up in 4 years, so I sort of have a system (Yikes!  I shouldn't even need one!)  There is actually one thing left undone (the safe-spot leaf), but my lovely custodians were busy and had already promised it by tomorrow.  

Welcome to my new room!

This is the front of the room... the door from the hall is on the left side of the photo. My desk (which I never sit at) is to the right of the green chair. My "Look Books" and "Favorites" are on the green shelves.

This is my calendar and agenda area. I'm trying something new this year and doing an interactive calendar time at the start of my math workshop. The students will each have a folder in which they will write the same things that the Star Student for the day is doing. I "borrowed" this idea from Jessica Meacham.

This is the back of the room (view from my green chair). You will notice that I do not have traditional chairs in my room. This will be my third year using ball chairs. They are AMAZING and those that know me well, also know that I would put up a pretty big fight if I had to give them up. I'll post more about the chairs and the research another time.

Here is my writing station and materials cabinet (which I found by the side of the road last year-FREE!).  I will be using community supplies and the students are responsible for the maintenance.  This is in front of my desk (it's on the left side of the photo).

This is a shot from the back corner of the room.  On the back of the white shelf, the students will create a graph each morning on the pocket chart to log their lunch choice.  Hey, look- my desk is in this one!  In case you're wondering, yes, I was watching Friends while setting up and forgot to turn off the TV before taking the photos!

Can I just say that I have the BEST view in the building?  We are next door to a nature center and my room looks into the woods.  It is SO CALMING!  The round table in the back holds our "New Arrivals" book rack.  Honestly, they are books that relate to our science or social studies unit at the moment.  They are from my public library, so they are "new" to the room.  I got this idea from Kathy Collins.  She suggested making an area like a bookstore, marketing the exciting books we have available.  The table will become my small group meeting spot soon.

Here is a closer view of the back of the room. My leveled library is on the front half of the shelves and the nonfiction books are on the right side of the photo. The "Look Books" and "Favorites" are at the front of the room.

One side has social studies themes and the other had science themed books. This is my Nonfiction station during Literacy Workshop time.

These are my organization boards for Workshop times.  Next week, there will be white cards in the empty spaces on the left sides of the charts with the Workshop pairs indicated.  I want a little time to get to know my students before assigning groups (even though I already know most of them!)

Here are the manipulative tubs

(you can find the labels on a previous post). The students are in charge of keeping them sorted and ready to use. I realize that I'm crazy, but this bin had to face the back of the room because the bins are red and yellow (it doesn't match everything else!).

Right across from the manipulatives, are the bins for the 12 math stations that we will be using.

Thanks for visiting!  You can check out other fabulous rooms by visiting: 

Blog Hopper- Meet the Teacher Week

***Updated photos for the 2012-2013 school year are posted HERE

The Week That Was

So - you may have noticed that not only did i go AWOL for the four days that i mentioned i would be Rockhampton, but that i also gave myself the rest of the week off from blogging too. As much as i like to keep things up to date, to keep the posts coming and the blog chugging along, i think i need a wee little break every now and again. But what did i get up to with all that spare time away from the blogosphere?


Monday: Dropped Flynn off at daycare. Did not get so much as a " Goodbye Mummy, i love you ". Cursed him under my breath for being such a turd. Got dropped to the airport, checked in ( along with my partner in crime, J ) only to find our fligh out of Dubbo was going to be 40 mins late. Made it to Sydney, checked in on a different airline, met up with the 4 other NSW staff members headed to the conference, and wolfed down some Maccas in time to make it to our gate for boarding to Brisbane... and found out this flight would be 40 mins late. Spent the majority of the flight wondering if we would make our connection to Rocky. Got there just as boarding opened, caught my third flight for the day and landed in Rocky pretty much on time. Dinner time actually. Checked into our rooms, freshened up and met Queensland staff members for tea. Not enough meal allowance to order dessert ( boo! ). Head to bed absolutely exhausted.

Our accomodation - The Edge

Tuesday: Full English  style breakfast ordered at 8am, made the conference room at 8:55am. Actually interested in the mornings presentations. An hour for a pub lunch - at a table of 19 managed to sit myself across from the chattiest staff member there. Get a case of threethirtyitis mid afternoon and struggle to stay awake in front of the boss. Break for the day just before 5pm. Back to the room for a freshen up and a dose of Music Max. Meet 6 other keen staffers for diner ( the rest were pikers - boo to them! ). Find a great boutique pub bistro and have one the nicest dinners i've had in a while - including dessert! Order the apple tart tartine and am gobsmacked when it is not just one slice but the WHOLE BLOODY TART. Do the best i can to tackle it but, even with sharing a piece, can only manage to finish two thirds. Can barely walk back to the motel... am too full of apple tart.

Home of the best apple tart tartine ever - The Heritage Hotel, Rockhampton

Wednesday: Bacon and egg breakfast ( again ) ordered at 8am, made conference in time to get the seat right next to the national boss. Yay. Dont mind so much as very interesting round table discussion til morning tea, and then discussion on customer service. Big boss puts confidential notes in front of her on the table - apparently thinks that i either cant or wont sneak peeks at it when she isnt looking. Lunch at the same pub. I dont know how but i manage to get the seat next the big boss at lunch aswell. My salmon is slightly overcooked but the lemon/lime/bitters goes down well. Stay awake and alert for the last afternoon session. Finish the book i started on Monday before dinner. 17 of us head to the same boutique pub as Tuesday night. After a lovely chicken scallopine i decide to tackle the apple tart again. This time make it two thirds of the way through by myself. May have finished the whole thing if it werent for few Midoris i'd already consumed ( yay for open bar tabs! ). Make it back to the motel despite my enormous apple tart belly. Repack suitcase - couldnt be arsed doing it at 6am.

This is NOT my boss - ha ha, i wish!

Thursday: Up at 6am and at the airport an hour and 10 minutes early for our flight, thanks to a particularly edgy staff member. Grab a crappy airport cafe breakfast ( tastes like cheesy cardboard ). On and off our first flight before the time i would usually leave for work. Potter around Brisbane airport and invest in a new book. Also bought $11 worth of mixed lollies ( rip off ). Brisbane to Sydney is uneventful - so uneventful in fact that i manage to drift off for a half hour nap. Grab some lunch with J, do a couple of laps of Sydney domestic and then settle in at our gate to wait for boarding. Actually have a flight with REX that arrives AND leaves on time ( incredible! ). Spend the flight trying to rest but giggling at the conversation from the couple behind me ( work in tv production, bitching about their bosses, filming out west, planning on driving to their destination 4 hrs from Dubbo at twilight - bad idea! ) J and I were two of the last people off the plane but the first thing i notice is Flynn pressed up against the terminal window, marvelling at the plane. Once he notices me he gets all excited and runs towards me as fast as his little legs will carry him. One huge mummy huggle and short drive later, i get tea cooked for me at my mum and dads. Mick drives us back to our place where, after putting Flynn to sleep, i collapse into bed, totally cactus.

Friday: A regular day at work, except that we're playing catch ups from the four days we were away. Barely have time to scratch myself. Make up a batch of spag bol for tea because, frankly, i couldnt be bothered doing gourmet. Again, i hit the sack before 8:30pm. Around 10pm i hear Flynn wake but Mick is still in good daddy mode and goes to him, and ends up sleeping in Flynns big boy bed with him. Good job Daddy - a calmed child and i get the whole bed to myself!

Saturday: Am gifted a sleep in by my gorgeous fiance. Feel so rested up on waking that i finish our shopping list while i tuck into my cereal. Go out and buy some new work shoes while Mick goes down to his shed and washes his work truck - meet back at home and then head out for groceries. Pop to the neighbours with Flynn for a quick visit when we get back. Flynn loves the little girls and teh dogs next door, so far is a bit scared of the mum ( big sook ). Once he figures out that K has swings, a trampoline, a pool AND can ply him with lollies they'll be good friends. Lots of cleaning and clothes washing done in the afternoon. Made some yummy chipotle chicken wraps for tea and watched " Monsters Inc " before bedtime. No wild saturday night for this little black duck!

Sunday: Flynn gives Mick his Fathers Day presents in bed, but instead of saying " Happy Fathers Day " he says " hello Cookie bird! " ( methinks he was dreaming about his aunties talking parrot... ). Go out to local nursery/cafe for Fathers Day brekkie with my parents, my younger sister and my brother and his family. Yummy French toast and fresh orange juice. Also lots of being dragged by the hand to see the fish in the pond. Flynn lets a combination of teething and finally becoming clingy ( which i thought he might, once i came back from Rocky ) turn him into a complete and utter feral child. Combination of sookiness, squealing and toy throwing drives me up the wall. Manage to get him to fall asleep after an hour and half on my lap. More sookiness when he wakes up which thankfully wears off when we go to my parents for bbq dinner. Good food, big laughs. Come to the conclusion that both my son and my father may just be nuts. Still, settle into warm bed to watch " Underbelly: Razor " with a big smile on my face....

I Want to be a Domesticated Goddess (Part 1)

I’ve never been much of the homemaker sort. My friends will probably tell you that is the understatement of the year. Even when I moved out to my own place this year, I still bring mum my laundry and she very promptly arranges a part-time maid to clean my house every week. I figure it’s time for a change.

I am still adverse to cleaning, of course. But cooking, now, that’s a different story. I love love love food. And I’m darned good at hunting down the best chow around. Surely that is a sign of talent? Haha. Cooking can’t be that hard, can it?

Well, there was only one way to find out. So a few weekends ago I invited some close friends over to the Shoebox for a roast beef dinner. I am told it is easy to prepare a roast beef. Invest in a good cut, marinate well, throw into the oven and pay it some attention while it cooks itself. This was my plan for my 2kg (serves 8) of meat:

5.30pm - Preheat oven to 220c, put beef with halves of onion, sear roast for 30min
6pm - Turn heat down to 160c, baste #1 Parboil potatoes in salted water for 10min.
6.30pm - Put potatoes into oven, baste #2
7pm - Baste #3
7.10pm - Remove roast from oven when middle is 50c. Turn up temperature for another 20min to crisp potatoes.
7.30pm - Let meat stand for 20min with foil over it. Remove potatoes from oven. Serve!

To be honest, I had Domino’s number on speed dial, just in case the roast beef experiment went wrong. But guess what, it was a tremendous success! Check out my perfect medium rare roast! Whoever invented the meat thermometer is a genius *grin*

The roast potatoes and onions were simply lovely too. Yellow onions taste fantastic when roasted. Keeping the potato skins on was a good decision too, everyone loved the contrast between the creamy insides and the crisp outside. All that time in the oven soaking up the fat from the roast imparted so much flavour into them.

I am so proud of myself. See, Liz can cook!

Of course, minor victories like these are best shared with the excellent company of friends, and of course, the special bottle of Rebourgeon-Mure Pommard 1er Cru "Clos des Arvelets" 2007 I popped open.

This is definitely something I would try again. A pork loin, perhaps, the next time?

Yu Champagne Bar

Call me suaku but I’ve never been to the Marina Bay Sands Waterfront. Kind of silly, actually, given that I work in Raffles Place and I’ve been to both Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza.



Well, better late than never.



I like how breezy and open the MBS Waterfront is – lovely for hanging out after work. In case you are interested, there’re a few sessions of a light (laser) and water show every night from 8pm. It’s free.



Me, I was there to check out Yu Champagne Bar. It’s not a very big place and outdoor seating is limited, but we were early and got a table with good “fengshui”. There’s a good variety of cocktails and beers, and Irene (who’s in the wine business) says the wine list is good. Hmm. I’m a very price elastic type of wine drinker. I found the bottle prices to be rather expensive, similar to Oyster Bar pricing. Fortunately for us thirsty types, they do a good happy hour before 8pm. It was $15 bucks for 1-for-1 glasses of the house wines (an easy Chardonnay from dunno-where).



We ordered a whole bunch of bar snacks to share. First we had the fries with spicy creamy sauce. The sauce tasted like chilli crab sauce, nice! But $8 is a bit pricey. Next, we had the crispy tofu cubes. Yucks, not nice.



The two platters we ordered fared better. The dim sum platter came with about 7 types of dim sum, including steamed prawn and pork dumplings, fried spring rolls and this fried sesame pocket thingy with prawn fillings. I really liked the mixed meat platter with a trio of char siu, roast pork and roast duck. Not a large portion but very tasty. I must go try the Chinese restaurant downstairs some time.



Yu Cuisine is owned by the same people behind Bosses at Vivocity, so we knew we HAD to order the crispy aromatic duck. We had mostly girls present, so we ordered conservatively half a duck ($25). Very good! The meat falls apart like pork floss and the skin is crisply divine.



Great night out chilling out with the homies!