Back to School, Back to Blogging!

Well, after an amazing holiday to the USA and a lovely visit from my parents, I am back into the swing of London life. School has started, the encroaching darkness has started and the rain has certainly started and doesn't seem to want to let up! 

Checking out the indoor gardens at the Bellagio

Vegas Lights

(These photos just won't line up!!!)

Our trip to the US with the Darneys was epic! We spent four nights each in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco. I was in awe of the wealth and glamour of Vegas and loved it! San Fran was definitely my favourite though. We had a great time there and I especially loved the day we went to Alcatraz and biked over the Golden Gate Bridge!!

Alcatraz!

Checking out the sights of San Fran - especially the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge! 

The famous Beverly Hills sign

We came home to London to six awesome days with my parents. I had such a great time showing them around London and letting them see the cool life we have here. I was so lucky that they were able to come over and visit me. It's just a shame it was at the beginning of the school year so I couldn't go with them to explore Italy and France..

My Mummy biking through Hyde Park - she was a renegade on two wheels!!

School started back last week, with my class arriving on Wednesday. I have 15 lovely children in my class this year and I can't wait to do heaps of fun, creative learning with them! It should be interesting for me only having 15 and the different dynamic that brings. So far we have started making our own tissue box monsters (like the ones I blogged about a wee while back). Along with lots of other beginning of year things, we also made these cool "greater than/less than monsters" this morning. They are so cute! We are going to use them for hotspot activities related to place value. 

I am feeling super organised for the new school year, but I'm sure as usual that feeling won't last! There is so much to learn at a new school and using a new curriculum, but I am super grateful for my AMAZING school back in NZ where I learned so so so much!! A couple of times over the past week or so I have felt very sad about not being back there, mainly when I don't know what is going on or where to find something or who to ask... As a control freak it's hard not to know the answer to all the questions, but I'm having fun settling in all the same. 

A quick snap of my classroom - unfortunately I didn't manage to get all my new wall displays in the picture... :-( They are to the right!!

An old fave I like to do every year: Thumbprint people! I saw this idea in an amazing classroom in Christchurch on a trip there a few years back and have done it with my class ever since! This year I also created stationery with them so that when the children need standard publishing paper for something, they have a page personalised for our class with the thumbprint person border!