Let the games begin!

When you say 3.8km, 180km, and 42.2 it is short and not that painful. When you add swim bike and run, once again not that painful. I guess putting them all together on a Saturday in March with 1220 other competitors will be the proof of the pudding! 5 days to go!

Journeys

Starting at school begins a journey in the education system some of us loved or loathed.In a child's life they will deal with a minimum of 10 teachers in their primary years and 5 a day at high school for up to 5 years.You got to hope they will find someone in there who gets them. I mean they are our precious little angels and we understand them, don't we! I often worry about the relationships that form or don't form between the teacher and the student.These relationships create the fabric on which all learning is based.I mean if your teacher knows you, they will be able to assist your learning by providing material that suits you. Where do you fit during this journey? Are you the ticket collector? The driver ? My take is that you too are a another passenger and should develop the same sort of relationship with the teachers as well.

Fear!

I get scared! Yep big old tough Mr Mullan gets scared. Recently it has been while face down in a lake knowing I have 2kms to go or if my achilles tendon will snap before I finish my adventure.But these fears are irrational! We must concentrate on what we can control. I see all the new students arriving at school or attending new classrooms and fear is obvious. Will my teacher know I cant do some things well or will I make friends. Will mum or dad remember to pick me up at the end of the day??? These a biggies for some. Think about the parts of these things that you yourself can control. Having control in your own mind will help ease all your fears.

A new year, a new view.

Starting the year gives you a whole new brings a whole bundle of new energy. The children are so passionate about coming back , just spending 5 minutes in the playground with them is a great booster. We have so many new faces around school it is gonna take a while to get to know them but thats the aim over the next few days. We have new teachers that also arrive with new energy and new ideas and it stimulates and boosts the staff. I love it!!! I have 5 weeks to go until my adventure begins. Am I ready? Well the kids are studying survival for the year so I guess I have to model that!! During the break I ventured to my old Primary school and realised in visiting the impact it had on my life. You don't know just how much school affects you until you are getting up to your used by date. At this school I learnt to read and write but also developed my love of sport and music and all these passions can be seen reflected in my own children today. Wow!!! Big impact!

Unthinkable.

On Saturday a good mates son committed suicide. What do you say to something like this how do you approach it. I must admit it is a hollow feeling and the idea that he was at the start of his life. 17 last year at high school world at his feet. How is it that we can feel so lost and helpless that we do things like this? What was going on for this young man that he thought this was the only way? How can I help?

Today.

Thank you Tom Latham for making the start to my day just brilliant. Thank you to to the Weather gods who made the sun shine and to the students who have just performed so wonderfully today. Joe brought me his dictated story and read it to me. he was awesome. Maisie and Eden are now on chapter books, their stories have 31 pages this is so cool when you are only 5. Lorenzo was on fire in Maths with Mrs Graham so to were Carter and Erin. Just a great day to be in charge of a school!!

Help.

How do we get more of you in to our evenings? Threats? Torture? Wine and Cheese?We really need to have more of you in to listen to the latest and greatest of what we are trying to do! So how do we do it?