Sunday, December 30, 2012

 

Today began with Yum Cha at Fook Yeun restaurant in Chatswood. Yum Cha is like dim sum (which neither of us had tried so it wasn't a terribly helpful comparison); you sit while various dishes come around and ask for the ones you'd like to try. We let Ali's cousins choose for us since we weren't sure what everything was. We tried a sort of rice porridge and a variety of dumplings, buns and balls with prawns, beef, pork, and vegetables. We sipped jasmine tea throughout the meal and topped it off with mango pancakes filled with fruit and cream. It was nice to try a new experience and we left quite full.

 

We set aside the day to catch up on our blogging and photo posting, clean up our room, pack for Melbourne, plan New Year's Eve, and relax. Once the housekeeping was taken care of, we spent some quality time playing various board games with Ali's cousins. As always, this led to lots of laughs and fun. After Scott picked up his girlfriend Brooke and her brother Jeremy at the airport, we all met up at a sushi train. Matt had been looking forward to finding a conveyor-belt style sushi restaurant since his visits to Japan, so this was a fun meal. We topped it off with Ben & Jerry's- not very local, but definitely a crowd-pleaser. We all headed back to the house and played a 1979 London version of Monopoly using make-shift crayon-cut-out property cards and War Hammer dice. It was as dramatic and high-adrenaline as Monopoly gets. This brought us to about midnight, so we went to bed to store up some sleep for the long night ahead.

More Australia

December 27 Continued

 

I forgot to mention our tour of the Sydney Opera House after our cruise. We took a delightful tour that included the history of its construction as well as the many functions and features of the various halls. We were able to watch some of an orchestral rehearsal as well as a cue to cue tech rehearsal for the opera we will see on New Year's Eve.

 

Friday, December 28, 2012

Wine Tours with Jason

 

We were the last of the tour group to be picked up at our hotel at 7:15AM, making it an early start. Our group included another much older couple from Florida and three couples from the U.K. We had a two hour scenic drive to the Hunter Valley, stopping once for coffee and breakfast. The guide told us about the area on the way, and stopped the van as we got closer to our first stop so we could take in a view of the valley's many vineyards. It was a lovely sunny day so we had a great view. This continued at our first stop, at which our tasting was hosted on a back veranda overlooking a great portion of the valley and distant mountains. We sampled about six varieties of wine at this stop and learned about the varieties cultivated in the region. Our second stop was just as generous and educational  and also included some cheese. We learned about the difference between vintages from year to year. Next, we had lunch outdoors at a shopping center. It was peaceful in the shade and we enjoyed live music with our meal. The third winery was our first non-private experience, complicated by the fact that the other group included a restless baby and toddler that made it hard to concentrate on the owner's talk. We were seated in tight rows, so it was hard to dump out the end of your sample and harder to navigate the group to try the olive oil and bread samples. On our way to the next location, we stopped to see some kangaroos and their joeys running free in the bush. The final stop was a nice variety but we got caught in the rain at the end.

 

After a long ride back to the city (including traffic jams and an impromptu detour), we made it back to the hotel to grab our luggage and head back to Ali's cousins' house. This went surprisingly well as we quickly found the train station, bought our tickets, caught a train right away, and found the connecting bus without incident. We even found the right stop and navigated back to the house on foot without the assistance of directions, phones, or maps. We were pretty proud of this. The family went out to eat at a Japanese restaurant  for a few hours, where we all enjoyed dinner boxes and then went home to bed.

 

Saturday, December 29, 2012

We got a ride to the zoo this morning on a very crowded day. Most people seemed to be there for the dinosaurs, so we made our way around them and went on a mission to find kangaroos, wallabies, platypus, Tasmanian devils, and other local animals. The only one on our must-see list that didn't come out into view was a wombat.

 

The Taronga Zoo has great harbor views and is conveniently located by a ferry stop. We took the ferry to Darling Harbor and had luck at Casa di Nico. Like most restaurants in Darling Harbor, we were able to sit outside and look at the boats. We shared a delicious chunky Greek salad and a crispy margarita pizza. We learned that there is little incentive for fast service and water refills in a country that doesn't tip its servers. Furthermore, we learned that it is difficult to clearly communicate the desire for change after giving the server the bill. We have several times found ourselves in awkward situations where, after being abandoned, we have to try to find a way to get our money back.

 

After lunch we headed into a very long queue for the Sydney aquarium. Though pricey, it had a wonderfully clear path to follow, bringing us through the exhibits with little need for mapping and planning our way. We saw a lot of sharks and rays and never had to wait very long to get a look at what we wanted to see. We took a picture of the largest crab either of us had ever seen, but the picture looks like it could be a close-up of a normal sized crab so the scale is lost.

 

We got a café coupon in exchange for recycling our water bottles, and turned it in for some carrot cake and coffee. We enjoyed this in the cafeteria, which was a little strange because it felt like we were in a fish tank being eyed by the line waiting outside.

 

We set off to follow a walking tour of the neighborhood. This took us past street musicians, parks, many different swimmable fountains and playgrounds. We went into the Chinese Garden which was a nice serene break from the crowds. As it promises, it delivered a variety of artistic and peaceful scenes in harmony with the bustling city in view beyond the walls.  We then explored the casino and began sampling happy hour offerings at the restaurants along the harbor as we made our way to the restaurant where we'd be having dinner with Ali's family.

 

Nick's was a great seafood restaurant in Cockle Bay, and we had a table that allowed us to view fireworks  on the water. We finally tried some Kangaroo, served rare since it is so lean. It tasted like steak and was quite flavorful. We also tried a kind of shellfish indigenous to the area, Moren Bay bugs, that was a cross between a lobster and a crab. Ali tried fresh figs for the first time and we all shared various appetizers such as mussels and scallops. We bought dessert drinks at Lindt and then walked back to the car. We fell asleep very quickly after arriving home with very full, happy bellies.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Boxing Day

 

Aunt Ruth made us breakfast this morning, including toast with vegemite, sausages, bacon that resembled thinly sliced ham, and eggs. Then Ali's cousins drove us to our hotel to check in. The Westin is one of the most luxurious hotels in the city, but we were able to get a great deal with our points. Our room is very large for a city hotel room and has lots of amenities and a great big tub.

 

We walked to Alex's office building, where he brought us up to the second floor from the top to view the harbor. We had a great view of the opera house and harbor bridge, and it was a good way to survey the area and plan our excursions for the next couple days.  We learned that Alex often shares a conference table with a former PM, showing us that politicians don't quite enjoy the same celebrity after they leave office as US presidents do.

 

We took a self-guided walking tour of the neighborhood called the Rocks, and laughed a lot as Ali's cousins realized most of the tour stops were new to them as well. They also laughed about how relatively young Australia is as a country and that even the oldest neighborhood didn't have much history yet. It was another unseasonably cool day with a little more sunshine than yesterday, so  we were able to walk for a long time without feeling too hot or too cold.

 

Another part of our afternoon that made us laugh is that Ali's cousins were trying to find a distinctively "Australian" place for us to eat. We ended up at a German restaurant for lunch, which featured some live music, nail-pounding races, and drinking contests. For dessert, we went to a chocolate store that we later discovered is probably part of a chain from California. We ate well and had fun anyway.  We also found our annual tree ornament that Jess offered to paint for us since most ornaments aren't labeled with the year.

 

We parted ways with Ali's family and began our Harbor Bridge Climb. We went through training and got suited up with lots of gadgets and gear. We were the only Americans in our group. The climb is made up with catwalks, ramps, stairs, and ladders. We were clamped to a line that ran the length of the course, so we never felt like we were going to fall. There were plenty of breaks to catch our breath and take in the view, and the sun came out long enough for us to enjoy sunset over the harbor. We saw a proposal in the group ahead of us, and our guide told us about the device they've created to keep nervous boyfriends from dropping engagement rings. They even hold weddings at the top! The climb was exhilarating and fun, but we were pretty tired by the time we walked back to our hotel. We had a glass of wine and two seafood trios at the hotel restaurant, which included scallops, prawns, and fish. We are having trouble getting used to the fact that we do not have to tip here, especially when friendly waiters and tour guides take the time to talk to us for a while.

 

Thursday, December 27, 2012

 

Convicts, Castles, and Champagne Tour

 

Today was a beautiful day for a boat cruise and walk around Goat Island. We tried to enjoy as much champagne (which was sparkling wine) as we could to get our money's worth. The lunch was in a dusty airplane-hanger-looking building without windows. We expected something more picturesque. We each had a slice of beef and/or ham with some Greek salad. Peel-and-eat shrimp, pasta salad, and bread were also available. The tour of the island was fun and included stops in the various buildings once occupied by convicts. The view of Sydney from the island was great.

 

We almost missed the castle. On the return trip back to the mainland, we were told we could sit downstairs for some peace and quiet (or to be close to the bar) or come upstairs to hear a little about the harbor. We almost didn't venture upstairs, but it's a good thing we did, since the only offhanded reference to a castle was made at that point. The "castles" category did not live up to its prominence in the title of our tour.

 

We had dinner at the Rockpool Bar & Grill, one of the top-rated restaurants in the city. We shared an appetizer featuring four varieties of raw fish with complementary toppings and garnishes. The flavor was superb and the fish melted in our mouths. We ordered local beers to accompany our entrees. Matt had filet mignon and Ali had goat cheese stuffed tortellini with king prawns, raisins, and pine nuts. The prawns were sweet and perfectly cooked, but the goat cheese was very rich and Ali couldn't finish her pasta. We shared a side of roasted pumpkin and sweet potato topped with a cream sauce. :The restaurant was beautifully decorated and the tall ornate ceilings were fascinating. However, the restaurant was poorly illuminated. The service was frequent but we had many different servers, resulting in some repetition and frequent interruption. We heard the waitress announcing specials to the party next to us, but no one told us about the specials. Overall, the meal was great and we would recommend the restaurant to others.

Christmas Vacation Down Under

Tuesday, December 25^th 2012

 

Sydney, Day 1

 

Our flights were great since our seats fully reclined. We also received comfortable blankets and kits that included earplugs and eye masks, so it was as easy to sleep on the plane as it possibly could be. After clearing customs, we spotted Ali's cousins Alex and Scott right away and set off to their house. Ali's aunt Ruth greeted us at the door and we sat in the kitchen catching up while she glazed the Christmas ham. We also met the dogs who, as promised, are very old but think they're puppies. We called Ali's parents to let them know we arrived and just in case we couldn't participate in the annual Boxing Day phone call depending on our plans the next day. Alex's girlfriend Jess came over and we sat by the tree to exchange gifts. We passed along cards from Nana and received pajama sets. We gave aunt Ruth a black cashmere sweater that seemed to fit and gave each of the boys a fleece pull-over. None of these were particularly appropriate for the Australian summer, but we were pleased that everything fit well and looked nice! Alex kept wearing his for the rest of the day since it was unseasonably cool and rainy. They were disappointed that we had poor weather on our first day, but we didn't mind since this was a day for visiting and not sight-seeing.

 

Christmas dinner for Ali's family is an annual tradition with their close friends in a neighboring town. These were all people Ali had heard about before and could finally put faces to the names. Everyone was very welcoming and we started the meal with- what else?- prawns on the barbie! While turkey was served, it was cooked on the grill. The Christmas ham was also pretty traditional, but the side dishes were a little less so. They included an avocado and corn salad, steamed vegetables with names we didn't really know, and sausages cooked next to the turkey. The turkey stuffing and gravy were pretty standard. Dessert included an Australian pavlova topped with fresh whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries, passion fruit, and kiwi as well as Christmas pudding, cupcakes, and a dessert made from pouring coffee and liquer over ice cream. We were given souvenirs such as an Australian slang dictionary as gifts. We stayed up till about 8PM and then went to sleep, luckily staying asleep until after 7AM the next morning. That is a pretty decent jet lag schedule and we feel rested and ready to take on the rest of our trip.

 

We learned yesterday that Aunt Ruth and Uncle Peter stayed in the same hotel at the Grand Canyon at which Ali's parents will stay in May!

Friday, December 21

Board Office:

• Reviewed a field trip application to see how well it was aligned to the social studies standards
• Responded to an intermediate school teacher's e-mail about assessment design
• Responded to an intermediate school teacher's e-mail about pacing
• Attended an inservice planning meeting
• Worked on a draft of the agenda for the high school's department meeting in January
• Submitted my monthly report

Thursday, December 20

High School:

• Worked on finalizing the materials for the 8th grade honors assessment
• Observed two teachers
• Responded to an e-mail from another district's supervisor with information about how we handle various social studies things
• Corresponded with a high school teacher about her maternity leave
• Sent out e-mails to start the process of reconvening the gifted and talented steering committee
• Covered the Media Center for the annual office staff luncheon
• Met with my teacher liaison to talk about January meetings
• Met with the high school principal and director of guidance to talk about changes to the levels of social studies elective courses
• Informally chatted with a high school teacher about some things he is trying

Board Office:

• Finished drafting the letter to 2nd grade parents announcing CogAT testing
• Finished getting the 8th grade honors assessment materials ready

Wednesday, December 19

I was out of the district for a personal day on 12/18.

Board Office:

• Attended the monthly principals/supervisors meeting
• Sent out an e-mail to the high school department about the change to bookroom/supplies procedures
• Sent out information to high school teachers about a meeting in January
• Sent honors placement assessment information to the 8th grade teachers
• Reviewed lesson plans
• Sent out REACH budget allocations to the elementary teachers
• Sent an e-mail to all 2nd grade teachers inviting them to the 2nd grade parent night
• Sent an e-mail to three elementary teachers about attending a conference for social studies/literacy
• Developed a survey regarding a social studies honors society for the high school
• Worked with the other supervisors to draft a letter to 8th grade parents about honors placement procedures
• Replied to a NJ Social Studies Supervisors' Association e-mail about plans for our January meeting

Monday, December 17

Board Office:

• Finalized an observation report
• Prepared for this afternoon's REACH meeting

Elementary School:

• Held a post-observation conference

High School:

• Met with a Vice Principal for an informal chat about some things
• Facilitated an elementary REACH meeting
• Facilitated an elementary REACH PLC session

Friday, December 14

Board Office:

• Met with a parent of two students who was very upset about REACH identification policies and procedures
• Attended a full day of teacher evaluation training

Thursday, December 13

Board Office:

• Drafted the letter announcing CogAT testing to 2nd grade parents
• Worked on the agenda for Monday's elementary REACH meeting
• Worked on the write-up of yesterday's observation
• Attended the supervisors' PLC and meeting

Wednesday, December 12

Middle School:

• Welcomed 14 middle school teachers from Japan to the district and got the day started

High School:

• Met with a teacher to discuss lesson plan expectations
• Worked on REACH demographic analysis

Middle School:

• Conducted an observation of a 7th grade social studies class
• Ate lunch with the Japanese teachers and their US hosts

Board Office:

• Worked on REACH demographic analysis

Middle School:

• Attended a closing reception for the Japanese guests

Tuesday, December 11

High School:

• Met with the department liaison to discuss the book room and honors analysis
• Met with a teacher informally to discuss midterm exams
• Sent out midterm exam deadlines to the department

Board Office:

• Arranged for substitute coverage for high school teachers for work in January
• Attended the World Language Task Force meeting to discuss how we are continuing the roll-out of Spanish and Mandarin Chinese

Elementary School:

• Met with a GT specialist to plan for a protocol next Monday

Middle School:

• Attempted to do an observation but had to cancel it based on what they were working on for the day

Board Office:

• Continued working on REACH demographic analysis

Monday, December 10

Board Office:

• Worked on the demographic breakdown of current REACH students
• Attended full day of teacher evaluation training
• Finalized the 8th grade honors assessment analysis

Friday, December 7

Elementary School:

• Held a post-observation conference with a REACH teacher

High School:

• Held a post-observation conference with a student teacher
• Met with my teacher liaison to discuss a PLC training opportunity and 8th grade honors testing

Board Office:

• Completed paperwork for additional Renzulli Learning licenses, this time for elementary schools
• Forwarded National History Day resources to a teacher
• Responded to a high school teacher's questions about pacing
• Completed the paperwork from the conference for reimbursement
• Reviewed lesson plans
• Revised and forwarded an observation report to this morning's teacher
• Corresponded with a high school teacher about expectations for addressing special education needs in lesson plans
• Sent an e-mail to the high school teachers about PLC training opportunities
• Sent out the social studies weekly update
• Talked with the middle school principal about next week's visit from Japanese teachers

Thursday, December 6

Board Office:

• Spent the whole day on an interview committee for a new Assistant Superintendent for Personnel. We saw 5 excellent candidates and concluded by recommending two for finalist consideration. I was on the committee as one of two representatives from the principals' and supervisors' association. We were joined by two members of the teachers' association, the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction, the Director of Technology, and the Superintendent. It was definitely a worthwhile experience.

Monday, December 3 - Wednesday, December 10

Along with the Assistant Superintendent and supervisors of Literacy, Science, and Math, I attended the Learning Forward Annual Conference in Boston from Sunday through Wednesday. This organization is primarily geared toward professional development so I attended a variety of sessions about supporting teachers working in teams, having difficult conversations with staff members, and how to lead professional development. The topics were in line with my job and my coursework and it's always nice to be away at a professional conference.