Carrs at school

The children all started at Big White Community School yesterday and after a very nervous start was a great success.  Ned was so scared I thought he was going to throw up (for those of you who witness Ned on Victorian Day at Upottery will know what I'm talking about!!)  Anyway, when I went to pick them up he was happy as Larry, talking about all the children in his class as if he'd known them years.  There are only two classes, Lucy is in Kindergarten with Charlie who is 2nd Grade and their teacher is Miss Leibel and Ned is in 4th Grade in a class up to 8th Grade (12/13 yr olds) with Mr G as his teacher. They seem to do quite a lot of classes as a whole school, particularly art and P.E. I can't imagine some 13 yr old boy wanting to do P.E. with Lucy but it seems to work for them!  They have lockers, which Ned thinks is great, just like all those American shows he watches on T.V. and after the first day Charlie came home with his agenda for me to look at!  They have already picked up some Canadianisms...everything is sweet or awesome dude and everyone seems to be called Buddy and Ned's bottom is now officially a 'butt'!! 
Today they had a talk by some Irish bloke called Dara who had walked unsupported to The South Pole...he usually gives talks in the U.K. where the children are shocked and amazed by the sub zero temperatures and the amount of clothing needed to keep warm...the children in this school were decidedly unimpressed as they wear all that stuff everyday just to get to school.
Loads of snow today, at least another 8inches and tomorrow we are skiing to school as the children have skiing as part of the curriculum and so go to the village ski school every Thursday.  We're going to have to leave early if we're ever going to make it by 8.30, especially as we have to account for Charlie taking the odd wrong turn!