O my Luve's like a red, red rose

I don't know about the rest of New Zealand, but in Dunedin roses grow like weeds.  Valentine's Day is not a big holiday in NZ, but they know about it.  In honour of Valentine's Day, here are some of the flowers of Dunedin...

And the photographer . . . 

Happy Valentine's Day.

My Girls at Columba

Two weeks in and I am really enjoying the students at Columba.

At the end of every class, as they file out of the classroom, they say "thank you" .  They say it like they mean it.  I am supposed to keep them off balance, not the other way around.  Delightfully disconcerting! Of course there are some girls who are loud, some who are "schedule challenged (read: late)," and some who require a bit more effort, but the level of politeness and intelligence is astounding.

I teach Physics Level 1, 2 and 3 to Years 11, 12, and 13.  In general, the levels and years align, but there are some Year 13s in Level 2, etc.  Amazingly, as you shall see, one of my classes is very small--four girls.  It is amazing what we accomplish and how much they teach me about New Zealand and about NZ education.

Year 11

Year 11 D

Year 11 E

(On a 4-Square box in case you lose count)

Year 12

Year 12 A

Playground Physics!

Year 12 B

See! They stand!

Year 13

Year 13

The Year 13s have also been very helpful to me (and Molly) in teaching me not only about New Zealand and the education system but about Columba as well.  The two girls in front are holding the Columba Crest (which we nicked off the wall but put back before anyone noticed).  

The girl on the right holding the crest is Holly.  She is the 2012 Head Prefect which is the highest honor bestowed on a girl at Columba.  So in Harry Potter terms, she is Percy Weasley, except she is a girl and is very kind and helpful. In the back row all the way to the left is Sam. Sam is on the New Zealand Junior Olympic Field Hockey Team.  Should I ever get in a fight, I hope Sam is with me and has her hockey stick.

Beach

Being a coastal town, Dunedin has several different beaches.  Another colleague, Christine, and her family, took us to Tomahawk Beach in the area of Dunedin known as Ocean Grove. Each beach has different things to offer.  Tomahawk has great sand dunes, rock cliffs and caves, and is a popular dog walking beach.  Here are the pictures:

This is on a Sunday.  The overpopulation, urban sprawl, and overcrowding is almost unbearable.

Molly's first encounter with kelp.

Sea Cave

Jacob's Ladder has nothing on this.

The path to and from Tomahawk Beach

The sea breeze from the ocean does amazing things to the trees at the top of hills, home to some of the indigenous population.

Long Blacks, Flat Whites, and Fluffies

Coffee in New Zealand is a wonderous thing.  Coffee has become a integral part of the culture, as it should, because it is absolutely delicious.  Even the coffee stand at the Auckland airport had fantastic coffee.  The Kiwis are very serious about it, and many are coffee snobs (and that, too, is a good thing).

The coffee here has a real taste to it that makes it more substantial that the coffee I have been use to.  Its not more bitter, or stronger, its just different.  You have to try it!

Here are the types of coffee you would get in a cafe:

Short Black--this is like an espresso and is the baseline for all coffees.

Tall Black--equal parts espresso and hot water.

Flat White--similar to a latte but stronger coffee as there is not as much milk.  The milk is also textured on the top layer, which gives it a different taste than a latte.  This is my favorite.

Fluffy--this is a coffee for the kids.  Not really coffee but foamed milk flavored with chocolate sprinkles and served with a marshmallow.

There are also lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, and others. Coffee in New Zealand is a joy!  Come down and have some!

My 14th Flat White from Rhubarb, a cafe in Roslyn Village, Dunedin

Little Tramp

Hiking is called tramping in New Zealand, and Rachel Mortimer and her children took Molly and I on a little tramp to the Flagstaff Scenic Reserve.  It was a grey day with "coastal cloud" coverage, so the vistas were not spectacular, but here are some photos . . .

The Pacific Ocean from the top of the marker hill.

Kiwi and offspring.  This is Rachel, who I teach with and leader of this expedition, and her son Riley.

This is a large basalt (oceanic volcanic rock) formation.  If you look at the apex of the "W" in the distance, you will see a long dormant volcanic cone.

 We then traveled to the Esplanade.  The Esplanade is a district of cafes along the oceanfront that is also a hang out for surfers.  Dunedin is, apparently, One of New Zealand's major surfing hot spots and home to a world surfing competition.  To surf here, one wears a wetsuit as it is very cold.

The black dots in the surf behind Molly are surfers.

The surf breaking against the Esplanade wall

To Market, To Market . . .

Last Saturday Will took me to the Otago Farmer's Market, held at the Dunedin Train Station. Here are some pictures from our trip . . .

The Dunedin Train Station

The Cadbury's Chocolate Factory is right across the street.  Yum!

The Otago Farmer's Market: Fresh Veg, Fruit, Cheese, & Fish

Tile work inside the train station

More tile, and a place to buy tickets for the Taieri Gorge Railway.

Finally, the view down Pacific Street from Columba to Otago Harbor.  Its very steep.

Education Upsidedown

They stand up.  When a teacher enters the classroom, the girls stand and stay standing until told to be seated.

I thought they were all preparing to walk out in protest.  Turns out, they just have incredibly good manners.  Still scared the hell out of me (but I hid my fear well).

Below are the things I really noticed about teaching at Columba College, as compared to teaching in Indiana.  I can only say these are true of Columba, which has long standing traditions, and NOT of all schools in New Zealand.

The Science Department.  This is a really cohesive, tightly knit, friendly group.  They are incredibly welcoming and helpful.  I have not been a member of a science department with the camaraderie this group has.  Not knocking my former Hoosier colleagues, just pointing out the strength of this group.  Might have something to do with being in a building dedicated (more or less) to science.

Morning Tea. This is not a joke.  Everyday, after second period, the teachers meet for "morning tea."  Everyone goes to the Staff Room and gets a cup of coffee or tea (supplied by the College), and sits down to three or four trays of snacks (like cheese and crackers or cakes, etc.--supplied by the College) and has a good chat until the Principal, Miss Wilson, gives morning 'notices' (announcements).  This also gives the students an opportunity to have a snack and some social time. Very civilized. Almost like second breakfast.

Lunch.  A full hour as opposed to the 25 minute marathon and does not happen until 1 PM. Again, very civilized.

Schedule.  The schedule rotates through the week, so you see each class at different times of the day throughout the week.  For example, I see the Year 13 girls Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning, Wednesday after lunch, etc. Wednesday's are different from the rest of the week as there is an extra period.  I teach five periods, all physics but three different levels.

National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). I am still working at understanding the details on exactly how this works, but it is the goal.  According to the NCEA web site: 

The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is the main national qualification for secondary school students in New Zealand. NCEAs are recognised by employers, and used for selection by universities and polytechnics, both in New Zealand and overseas.

Topics (such as mechanics) within a subject (such as Physics Level 2) are taught as Internals or Externals.  Internals mean I write the exam, which is subject to review.  With Externals, the exams are written by the New Zealand  Qualification Authority (NZQA).  Teachers must teach a minimum number of Externals with each subject. 

Students.  Not angels, not all of them anyway. But 98% are remarkably polite, attentive, and very intelligent.  Discipline problems appear to be minor.  I expected a certain level of 'cattiness' but it has not been the case and I've been told it usually doesn't happen very often.  There is a great deal of pride in the school and though there is a lot of grumbling about the traditions, they are upheld.

There are more things, lots more, but its late and I don't want to bore.

The girls stand up.  Now if I can just get them to understand my jokes . . .