“That we leave our homes, that we step through our doors to the world, that we travel our whole lives not because we want to collect exotic T-shirts, not because we want to consume foreign adventure the same Western way we consume plastic and Styrofoam and LCD TVs and iPads, but because it has the power to renew us—not the guarantee, not the promise, just the possibility. Because there are places our imaginations can never construct for us, and there are people who we will never meet but we could and we might. It reminds us that there is always reason to begin again.” - Stephen Markley, Tales of Iceland or "Running with the Huldufólk in the Permanent Daylight"
Ok, I pride myself on being a fairly low-key traveller. I am well-organized but am open to what a trip offers me. New restaurant? Yup, sounds good. Off the beaten path adventure? Totally, let’s go! Got my passport? Yup, checked twice, expires in 9.5 years. So, imagine my surprise when I happened to be checking my baggage allowance for Icelandair and saw my departure flight to Toronto was not at all the time I had booked. No email, no contact...just switched, by quite a bit. Ok, so I do what any experienced traveller does and I check in with the airline. Turns out I am not even confirmed on that flight, it is merely a suggestion. So my booking was altered, my flight is not confirmed and I leave in 5 days. No biggie, confirm, continue packing, arrive early.
The CBE is the second largest district in Canada next to Toronto and we all start Spring Break today. I KNOW it is going to be a busy day at the airport. Moms with strollers know, people travelling with Fido and a massive bike in a box know, yet Westjet somehow misses the memo. I bet it is out in cyberspace right alongside the email sharing my unconfirmed flight details! Insert head smack here…. I try to check in online for the past 24 hours, no dice. I try at a kiosk at the airport, nope sorry, try again, gotta get in that looooong line. You know the one, the one with 3 agents checking people in and a computer system that keeps freezing up. Awesome. As the organized traveller I pre-booked my seat, added my personal info to the booking and was early to the airport. Despite those efforts I ran to security, kissed my guys goodbye in two nanoseconds and ripped through security. Enter “random” search…..seriously? Lol….ok, ok travel gods I’m here, I’m out of breath and I am trying really hard not to show my frustration. And I’m low on caffeine, like really low...and breakfast? Yeah, that was so yesterday’s news...no breakfast for this girl. I board the plane, looking forward to my mid-plane aisle seat and find myself in the VERY last row, in the middle no less, with no opportunity for breakfast or coffee in the foreseeable future. I dropped my pen...I am almost embarrassed to tell you about the weird combo of gymnastics-calisthenics it took to get it back in my cramped hand. Thank goodness I have nice neighbours! Sooooo all that being said, I am excited to finally be en route to Akranes, Iceland! I should arrive at 6am local time, looking a little rumpled but hopefully not too haggard! At least I have my toothbrush handy….oh geez….did I pack toothpaste? Lol…course I did! Twice. ;O)
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March 4, 2019 According to my iPhone's countdown clock I have 19 days, 12 hours, 34 minutes and 16 seconds until Dadda and I reconnect face to face! We have kept in close contact, texting, SnapChatting and emailing these past few months and the time has simply flown by! Life finds it's own rhythm, commitments reinstate, and the Earth spins once again as though a life changing experience did not just happen...except it did, and you are forever changed as a result. I am very excited to share that my ticket is booked, my blog is back up and running, and my new hikers are ready to hit the trail - Iceland is under three weeks away! Are the ready for me? Time will tell. ;O) When this whole process began, Dadda and I had a mere few weeks to get to know each other digitally, share plans, hopes and insights, build an itinerary and clean the house. (Ok, ok, that was on MY list, not hers!) Now, months after our initial exchange we are ready for Exchange 2.0 and, if it is possible, even more excited to spend time together! Our families feel like they know each other, to do lists are being crafted, and my Google searches have a very predictable focus, ready or not Akranes HERE I COME! With two lighthouses, a folk museum, never ending views of the Atlantic, and my adopted Icelandic family, Akranes is a perfect backdrop for the second half of our exchange. Staying true to how we started this adventure, Dadda and I began planning 2.0 using a Google Doc. Below is a capture of our conversation (edited for length!)
Dear Aubrey, Now it is my turn in asking the questions :) I have a lot of answers in the google docs sheet we used in september but I have questions about the school and what you want to see during your stay. 1) What are you most hoping to see, experience, talk about? I am looking forward to seeing your school in action. I want to learn about how you support students that struggle and see how you work with bilingual students. I want to talk more about where you find yourself up against old impressions and outdated pedagogy. I want to celebrate the path you’ve traveled and see your passion inside a school’s walls. Our role can be quite lonely, I look forward to chatting with you about how you are working to make a difference at your school and for your students. 2) Would you like to visit a Kindergarten? ABSOLUTELY!!! I would LOVE to see a KG and experience how your system works with its youngest learners. It is also really important to me though that I don’t disrupt the learning for ANY students. I want to be present, and throw myself into the experience but not at the expense of learning for children. That being said, if I can get messy with the little guys I would come home with a huge smile! 3) If you could go anywhere in Iceland, or experience anything, what would it be? Iceland is a very small country so fire away :) I want to experience Iceland as you see it. I would love to take photos of the northern lights and the amazing landscapes, the place where the tectonic plates meet but I really just want to see the places you value, you hold close to your heart. Ok, I really want to see your lighthouses in Akranes too ;O) we will take a walk to the lighthouse. 4) What do you know, or believe to be true, about the people in Iceland? I believe that the people are friendly and fairly open to others. I think we will have more in common than not and I think we value family, work-life balance and nature in the same ways. I think that your education system is dedicated to working with all students and hoping to gain some understanding of how being in a somewhat isolated country affects your connections to the world and other systems. If your family is anything to go by, I think people in Iceland are fun, work hard and dedicated to enjoying their life. I think they are minimalist, they don’t need a lot of “things” but would prefer to spend time with people, not money on physical items. I think they THINK they have mountains….but we know different ;O) I think they are likely very forward thinking in their social structure, taking care of their children and elderly with equal compassion. You mentioned that they speak english as a result of western influences like tv and movies. I wonder if they think we are more like US citizens? As people, we are more like you than Americans….They will find out when they meet you that Canadians are not like the US. Then, when I thought things were moving along quite well, Dadda drops a bombshell... We will go to Bessastaðir (drink coffee with the president and his Canadian wife!) and from there to the Blue Lagoon. Ummmmm...WHAT?? You see, when we were in Lake Louise in October we were chatting about how the Icelandic president married a Canadian girl, Eliza Reid, from Ottawa. I joked that maybe I should email her and ask if she wanted anything from home? Tim Hortons? Coffee Crisp? Ketchup chips? Well, it seems I need to find room in my suitcase for a dress (that goes with my winter boots?) as we will be visiting the President, First Lady and their 4 children when we are there. OMG.....is there etiquette for that? Do I curtsy? What kind of gifts should I bring? Do they care if I have toque-head?? So so so many questions....but I know I will be in good hands. Dadda won't let me make a fool of myself. Too much. I think. I hope. Hello Siri? What is the protocol for meeting the Icelandic president? https://www.macleans.ca/politics/liza-reid-on-life-as-icelands-canadian-first-lady/
Wish me luck and, if you are like me and tiring of this arctic weather, come to Iceland its -5 right now! Nothing like going to the Arctic Circle for a balmy winter holiday! More coming soon....
Now when I have been in Marlborough School and with Aubrey and her family for two weeks my exchange trip is almost coming to an end and I am getting a little bit sentimental about it. From the first day I have felt at home both at Aubrey´s home and at school. The staff and students at Marlborough School are doing a great work every day. The staff members are so dedicated in their work that it amazed me. The school is very multi cultural and it is amazing to see how the teachers include all students in work. Every student can build on his or her strength and that is not always easy when teachers are making schedule´s. The teachers have welcomed me in their classrooms and made me a part of the lesson. The kids have been super nice, they greet me every time with my name, Mrs. Dadda and they don’t mind having me in their classrooms. Then I come to Aubrey´s family, the Fletchers. I have been a family member from the minute I walked in to the house. Whether it is preparing dinner, sitting together, laying in the sofa and watch TV, playing ping pong and laughing with the boys or making jokes with Dave they have taken up a big part of my heart and I won´t let them out of there. When I left Iceland I was going to a two weeks exchange program and do a job shadow with a colleague in Canada. After the first day I realized that it would never be simply an exchange program, you get a friend for lifetime. Aubrey is a friend and a very good one. We have laughed together from day one and we have so similar opinions and vision for our work. We can talk about everything all day long so I will miss her and I am already planning her trip to Iceland and can´t wait! The Fletchers are definitely a big part of my life from now on. Bestu kveðjur, Arnbjörg Sooooo you know the old story A Tale of Two Cities? Well this is the story of a tale of two settings...the inside and outside of my house a this very moment. It has been pounding snow here since late last night and we woke up to a foot of snow, a crazy commute, and a city bus sitting sideways across the street in front of the school. What, is it Monday?? Dadda was all set to spend the day at City Hall School with the always amazing Sheila Bean. It took her and Dave almost 2 hours to get downtown and then the students exploring City Hall School this week were late to arrive. Thank goodness they have a Good Earth Café and wifi! They didn't get to visit Inn From the Cold as was originally planned but they did get some time together and Dadda learned all about our weeklong off-site opportunities for CBE students. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we were battling with unsafe drivers, late buses, and staff stuck in traffic for upwards of two hours. The highlight of the day was spending the lunch play time outside with our kids as they romped and tromped in the snow. The snow angels! The squeals down the ultra-fast slide! The caked-with-snow toques, gloves and smiles! It really was a wonderful way to spend some time this afternoon. Although I am sure there were a few errant snowballs, for the most part it was a problem-free recess. Go team Marlborough! Every few hours I find myself a little bit emotional as I realize our time together for this first part of the exchange has started to wind down. I cannot believe that in less than two weeks this amazing woman has become so much more than a colleague. She is my friend, my partner in exchange shenanigans, and a member of my family. She even knows where we put all the weird kitchen utensils! We are sitting here watching Daddy's Home 2 and giggling away as the blended family before us try to figure each other out. Exchange is not unlike that...how do they take their coffee? Are they an early bird or a night owl? Do they think your family is bizarre or do they fit right in like a crazy cousin from far away? I am so happy to report Crazy Cousin Dadda is alive and well and fitting right in with the Fletcher clan! Signing off for tonight so I can enjoy the rest of the movie, and time with my friend, before she goes back home. Amid flurries and stormy skies, Dadda and I took full advantage of our free Saturday and headed for the mountains. Hoping to see wildlife (more on that later) we started our day in Lake Louise and made our way slowly east. Lake Louise was very busy, of course, but worth the parking lot frustration! We walked partway around the lake, stopping every few hundred feet to take a photo, breath in the trees and admire the view. A few hearty souls were canoeing on the lake but we appreciated our view from the solid shoreline. It certainly is a place for quiet contemplation, one cannot have an overwrought head in a place like this. I need to do this more often. I need for my boys to experience this more often. Living near the mountains is not the same as living IN the mountains. I miss living in the mountains. Banff was a huge disappointment. I don't love it at the best of times but it was so overrun with people, the restaurant we really wanted to eat in shuts down between lunch and dinner (on a Saturday, in high season...?) and it was colder than Lake Louise by far. Aubrey and Dadda OUT! We decided to drive east using the Bow Valley Parkway, a more scenic route renown for its wildlife sightings. Eagle eyes peeled we drove through the amazing fall colours ever-vigilant for foul-legged residents. At one point we pulled over into a rest area to snag a picture of the mountains and Dadda got very excited "Ohhh I think that it is something!" It was something alright...it was a young guy oddly posing for a photo in the grass while his girlfriend with her weird brown scarf sticking out all over her upper body over took the shot. "Ah yes, THAT is another kind of wildlife - real Canadian wildlife! The elusive adolescent male and girlfriend with weird scarf..." We laughed all the way to Banff! Canmore has a special place in my heart. To me, it is much more beautiful than Banff, it is quieter and it feels like an actual town not a tourist trap. We found parking right away, went to the Grizzly Paw for lunch and had some fun in The Tin Box! By this time in the day the weather had cleared and the mountains were fully visible, and they were stunning! A fresh dusting of snow throws the Rockies into such beautiful relief, it really does steal your breath for a moment... We headed home in time to catch the last hour of Zane's outdoor field lacrosse practice. The first 45 minutes had taken place in quite a snow flurry but when we arrived it was just chilly. We stayed warm in the jeep for the first while and braved the wind for the last 20 minutes. It really does say something when the Canadian puts the Icelander in a place where she is too cold! Brrrr...not sure where our autumn went but it can come back any time! Now would be good! Looking forward to a Sunday at home, a roast dinner, walk around the lake and some time by the fireplace. It is hard to believe part 1 of our adventure is halfway through already but looking forward to the week ahead! For me, Terry Fox is not just a Canadian hero, he is a reminder of home. My family saw him train, I went to Terry Fox high school and his family spoke at my graduation. My Terry Fox run was the hometown run, he grew up not far from me.
Every year schools across the country participate in their version of a Terry Fox Run. This year our staff came together to create an amazing opportunity for students by marking the field to scale, creating welcome posters for each province, and having an amazing assembly to kick things off. The weather held out and we ran on the field together celebrating Terry's spirit and determination. It was a magical morning that ended with Dadda telling one of our KG teachers "Well, walk across Canada - check! Now I can tell my friends I went across Canada - TWICE!" A great ending to a fantastic day! Orange shirt day is a day to honour every child, to remember the impact of the horrifying experience of residential schools and to re-commit to never allowing an experience like that to happen again. Our Board of Trustees explain their perspective here: https://www.cbe.ab.ca/news-centre/Pages/orange-shirt-day-2018.aspx As a school, Orange Shirt Day is not something we have embraced at Marlborough but it is something I feel we need to. It is certainly not because we don't value the perspective or see the need to support this initiative, anything that shows a commitment to reconciliation is important. I will work hard to ensure we honour this day next year, and the years that follow. I was very excited for Dadda to spend the better part of the day with my friend Michelle at Niitsitapi. For the past year, the staff at Niitsitapi have engaged with indigenous elders and the University of Calgary on a large research project detailing the impact of the wraparound services provided at the site each and every day. Although I was not present for the sharing of the findings, Dadda explained that the connections grounded in the work at Niitsitapi were more impactful than originally anticipated. No surprise there! She was so impressed with the staff, the building, and the commitment to ensuring every child matters, it was a wonderful way to celebrate Orange Shirt Day. After a very busy week we celebrated together in very Canadian cold weather fashion... Nelson Mandela is one of the CBE's newest high schools and right from the moment you enter the building you can tell it is very different than any other high school you may have experienced. It's not the aviation lab complete with helicopter body and simulator software, or even the state of the art kitchen where aspiring chefs gather to learn...it is the spirit that permeates throughout the building - THAT'S what feel different! Students are bustin' a move to Thriller in the hallway while others play guitar or upright base outside the Band Room. Others are in Grade 10 Community classrooms, learning alongside 4 teachers and another 129 students dedicated to providing a cohort experience, a place where every grade 10 student can feel successful and try new things safely. The staff at Mandela have reconfigured the high school experience and while Dadda was immersed in the experience asking questions and generally loving her tour I was quietly proud of the work my colleagues have done here. As Zane begins his grade 10 year, it is a place I wish my own children could attend. How is this for a random whiteboard in the grade 10 hallway... After an inspiring afternoon we came home to relax a bit and then headed out to Pinnovate down in Mahogany. For those of you non-crafty people, Pinnovate makes it easy to feel artsy! This was a Mountain String Art class and within two hours we had laughed, created and finished the beautiful pieces you see above. (Coordinating grey shirts a happy accident, I swear!) It was stress relief after a busy week and made for some great memories. AAAANNNNDDDD Dadda did not get kicked out of Canada for poor art skills in a class, contrary to initial fears. ;O) Tomorrow - Orange Shirt Day and the Terry Fox Run! Soooo the good news is we have met our goal of doing a fire drill before the weather changes, the bad news is we had two...unintentionally! Uggg…two of our grade 1 boys decided (on consecutive days) that they wanted to know what happened when one pulls the fire bell. Well, what happens is the well-attended Area meeting gets evacuated as the Principal runs around and checks the bathrooms she knows are empty and stands in front of the 250 students while the bell-puller sobs into his lunch kit. No silver lining you say? There TOTALLY was - our kids rocked the fire drill protocol and were really amazing as we talked to the fire department, for the second time in two days, apologizing for the mischief that is six year old little boys. On another note, I believe my Icelandic best buddy has made some new friends! (She claims the picture was for her grandson but just LOOK at that smile! I think the grandson angle is a cover… ;O)) We did start our day in a more serious way at our Area 4 Level meeting. These meetings are an opportunity for elementary Ps to gather and discuss context-specific concerns (KG ELL, Alternative Programs etc). We are joined halfway through by our Jr and Sr High counterparts and share the system specific info regarding things like Admin Regulation updates, School De embraced Dadda with open arms, many of them asking if she needed another school to visit during her stay. #Area4IsAwesome We are ending the evening side by side on the couch, laptops in hand, blogging about our adventures. There may or may not be a beverage and chips close at hand...bring on Thursday! Well the old adage is true, if you don't like the weather in Calgary wait 5 minutes! No sneak attack hail storms today, just a gray start, a blue middle and a chilly but clear ending! Dadda has officially become part of our staff, she knows not to wait around for me as chances are I'll be called away to do something or other. (clean up the remnants of a sore tummy, cover a lunchroom, fix an iPad...you name it!) Although I am grateful she is just fine finding her way (with the trusty schedule we devised of course!) I do long for a bit more time during our day together. That being said we spend a great deal of the evening talking about our days, sharing stories, laughing, and really getting to the heart of why we engage in this work with full hearts. Today we tackled the notion of teacher evaluation, the benefits of coaching and dealing with difficult situations. In Iceland, they do not have a formalized teacher evaluation process. Even in a large school (over 450 - which is very large in Iceland!) Dadda commits to frequent staff check-ins, classroom visits (both formal and informal) and one-on-one conversations focused on giving and receiving feedback. I admire her calm demeanor and sense of humour very much and feel like I have known her forever already! After a morning in grade 1/2, and experiencing our RTI (Response to Intervention) math groups we were off to a Math Coach Principal's meeting. Here we discussed the progress thus far of our system math coach model and shared what has been going well, where we can improve, and an open floor in terms of suggestions. With a focus on peer coaching and data collection, we have much to learn from this opportunity and are so fortunate to have a coach of our own at Marlborough. I look forward to using this opportunity, and the goals and strategies inherent within it, to support our School Development Plan and seeing even further growth this coming year. After racing across the city back home to grab Little Britches (Cai) we headed off to solve the puzzles of Prohibition and the Magic Genie in a Bottle in 2 Locked Rooms! Split into 2 teams Cai, Jody and Hannah conquered the Genie and the 1001 Arabian Nights while Dadda, Mike, Charlotte and I tried, miserably, to figure out who "The Don" was of the Muddy Waters Gang in time to diffuse the bomb left for us. Needless to say, we didn't make it out alive and the Muddy Waters Gang can continue running whiskey to the local speakeasies. (Thank goodness Cai was on Team Genie!) We ended the evening in true Canadian style with soup, sandwiches and hot drinks at Tim Hortons. It's official...she drank the Kool-Aid! Go Team Vicanuck! |
AuthorAubrey: "Leader of the Elves"....that's me. Mom of two amazing guys, wife to one bigger (yet no less amazing) guy and teacher of little ones. Blogging about the adventures (usually with my rubber chicken in tow) is one of my favourite things. Archives
April 2019
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