Worn out, but holidays are almost here

I'm feeling quite ragged this week. It's been a long and eventful term at school/work - but on the other hand the weeks have been just flying by. Every (usually) spare spot on my timetable has been used to let as many Stage 3 (Years 5 & 6) students as possible participate in the Identity: Sharing our stories rap, not to mention any other spare second, and many late nights, helping to moderate the incoming messages and solve a few tech problems.

The rap has used print and online interviews with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, and the ten groups of students, who've worked on the rap for the last seven weeks - brainstorming group responses to set questions, which are then shared with other school groups via a blog - have gotten so much out of the experience, it's all been well worthwhile.

Last night, I was supposed to be presenting our work to any interested parents, while their children attended the school disco. Unfortunately, I had no takers and i was left sitting upstairs with a whole bank of computers set to the rap, and no audience. (Last term we had a good roll up for a similar presentation on the Wilfrid book rap.)

No matter. On Friday it's our annual NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Celebration) Assembly at school, and I get to do a presentation there of some of the highlights of the students' work.

I must admit to feeling a little put out this morning when suddenly one of my student helpers in the library slipped me an impromptu note, artfully decorated in glitter glue of many hues: "Thank you Mr McLean for all your herd (sic) work." She stressed that the note was created by her, but was from all ten of my library monitors. It left me grinning all day, despite my weariness.