School Week 5

This was a less successful week at the school.

I had taken a frame for the hole, bought the hard core and Paul the P6/7 teacher was due to bring the cement with the plan that the P7's would help mix and lay the foundations.

I arrived early and the first thing I saw was that Paul was not in till 1pm (I leave at 12) It turned out that he had left 1 bag of cement and some sand for me though.

Then Trudy didn't appear- she was my other mine of foundation laying knowledge!

To top it all the P7's were out playing golf all morning, So I had the P6's.
There was a supply teacher covering the class who didn't seem to realise that she was meant to stay and supervise the class. When I went to get them she just sent them all out with me, including a new boy. He was in an electric wheel chair.

This was not what I had planned and with hindsight I should have turned them round and explained that I would need them all in smaller groups etc. This didn't happen though, and she soon disappeared, so I did what I could.

The kids were great as usual and we tidied up the hole so that the fame fit neatly. We filled the hole with hard core. I had bought twice as much as I thought we would need, it wasn't enough.

The wee boy in the wheelchair was desperate to join in and take part but I could not see how, it was impossible for the wheel chair to get very close to the hole (as it is on a grassy slope). He managed to dig out some of the earth when we lifted his front wheels onto the grass, but I could tell he was bored and unimpressed. If I had known he was going to be there I might have been able to come up with something more inclusive for him. It was very frustrating.

I turned out that there was some gravel in the the boiler room that the school had no use for so we filled the hole to the required level.

Trudy appeared, with a terrible cold, she was not well. We agreed to leave the cementing till the next week (much to the children's' dismay).

We still have plenty of time, 3 weeks. We will decorate the tiles over the next 2 weeks leaving the last week for the instillation.