This Week at School

This was the week of the big snowstorm here where I live in Manitoba (one has to happen at least once a year). On Monday the weather was fine. I was sending students out for recess and making them put on their snow pants even though they were claiming it was "so hot" outside (it was likely around -20... definitely not hot). 

I went to a new school this week and had such a wonderful time that I left my name and number to hopefully make a return trip there sometime. This new to me school had a climbing wall in their gym that my grade 3/4 students were climbing on during gym class. It was also here that I got to meet Bubbles... the class fish. 

Later in the week we did another Olympic activity (they had already seen the videos I had shown a previous week so we didn't watch those. 

Biathlon was a popular pick for a sport to play

and we played "Sink the Ship" in gym class where I was picked first to be on a team both times (yes I played with them.... there were only 5 of them and they needed me to make the teams even).  I also scored all the points for both teams that I was on 

*pats herself on the back for beating a bunch of grade 1-3 students*

I also got to go on a bit of a "field trip" and we headed back into the big bad city (in which I live) to go for some swimming lessons and gym time (I was at a small rural school this day). It was a super easy afternoon since all I had to do was help with supervision.

I was supposed to be at 2 rural schools on the day of the snowstorm (one in the morning and then driving about 30 minutes to the next one for the afternoon). I checked for school closures multiple times that morning and never heard of any so off I went to the first school. This was also the day I failed to realize I was nearly on empty for gas until I got to the first school (which is when my gas light came on). Not a big deal though... there was a gas station about 20 minutes away that would be on my way to school #2. Anyways, it was on this day that no one (other than the principal) managed to make it in to school. I mean, there are only 2.5 teachers at this particular school but there are 4.5 staff members. Luckily for me, it was jello day on the colony and so I didn't have to share my dessert with anyone!... The staff at the kitchen must have been told I was the only one here though because they did end up sending more individual sized portions

Anyways, in the end, because visibility was so low (which is why no one was making it into the first school) they decided they didn't need me at the 2nd school that day and I should just stay at the colony (which was fine by me). I finished up my day there, drove home (and stopped for gas once I got back into the city) without a single incident (thankfully)

the view out one of the classroom windows during the snowstorm (yes, it's rural so there isn't much to actually see out the window but there is a building out in the distance that would easily be visible on a more clear day - I'll take another picture one day soon).

Sidenote: When I got to the school I mentioned to the principal how I was surprised that school wasn't cancelled for the day and he told me that apparently if the snowstorm would have started an hour earlier and they would have seen then how bad it was going to be they would have cancelled school. So for all of you living in the states (or elsewhere) that get school cancelled at the drop of a single snowflake.... just think of us up here in Manitoba freezing cold, a foot of snow, and with next to nothing for visibility and still going to school.