Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Enthusiasm run wild

As if I don't have enough to do I have decided to create a new additional blog. This one is my Sunday Soiree. Why did I create "Celia's Sunday Soiree"?
A few things have brought it about (all one entry!). I was reading the Artful Blogger magazine on my flight back to NYC and one person mentioned about being "artful" in different ways, another mentioned about soirees and I started thinking about how I used to have my soirees as a principal.
Celia's Soiree came about at Ascot Vale Primary School as a result of a conversation I had with some girls. The girls had been in trouble for bullying one of the other kids and aftr discussion we decied that the best way for them to apologize was to make and "apology cake". While the girls and I were whipping up a cake we talked idly as one does when one is cooking or washing up- it seems to take the emphasis away and seems to intervene in possible confrontations. Doing the dishes seems to me a good time to raise tough things because of that distraction factor. I digress! Having made the apology cake and served morning tea to kids the girls were absolved of their guilt. However a week later I had to call them to my office as they were the "victims" in an incident. I spent most of the time saying to them "No you are not in trouble, I just need to know what happened".
My thoughts after this incidient and conversation with the rest of the staff was that kids think the only reason you go to the principal's office is when you are in trouble.... I wanted them to think that you could come to my office when you are in trouble or are troubled. So I began Celia's Soirees.
Each week on Thursday morning for half an hour kids were invited to my office for a glass of bubbly (coke or lemonade-Sprite to Americans) and a chocolate biscuit (cookie). Teachers selected a child in their classroom that they normally didn't notice- kids who didn't stand out- those ones who quietly went about being in the class. It was a very quiet half hour in my office!
I'd introduce the kids to each other as most didn't know one another being from different classes, we share our"bubbly" and I'd show them my way of eating chocolate royal biscuits (mallow somethings in the US). You smash the cholate on your forehead and then carefully pick/eat all the chocolalte off, then suck off the marshmallow and finally eat the biscuit. Kids often left my office with a little bit of chocolate on their forehead or around their mouths.
To fill in the rest of the time they'd play with my snowdome (I had 100 or so on a shelf in my office) , look at the soft toys, check out the wooden puzzle and enjoy my little fridge. The fridge was about 6 inches high and held office supplies eg the butter was a sharpener, the vegetables in the crisper were pens or sitck pins, the meat was a magnet, the freezer compartment sticky tape, the engine at the back was a pair of scissors, the "ketchup" was glue- kids and adults alike love it! (thanks Mary W for the gift years ago).
So in thinking about my soiree I thought I should "start" it up in some form and I do miss writing to Maddy as part of my Sunday.... so I figured I'd invite people to imbibe with me at my Sunday Soiree and talk about food and drink from my week! Come and join me sometime.

3 comments:

Terry said...

what a neat idea! Off to check it out.

Barb said...

Leave it up to you Celia to start something as wonderful sounding as this! I will check it out. Will it be at this address or a new one? Let me know.

But what intrigues me even more...I wonder what wonderful impact you had on these children. They are who they are today because you touched their lives in a very special way. I am sure you played a very important part in their lives;ways in which we will never know.

But for them I say thank you.

Barb said...

Duh. I just saw the link!! Sorry about that! LOL

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