November 2024 – MakeCookGrow.com

Retraining Teachers and Odd Jobs

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retraining teachers in south australia

One in three Australian students failed to meet the minimum level of achievement in NAPLAN testing this year. (National Assessment Program- Literacy and Numeracy.) The score and specific information regarding the areas the child did not meet expectations is then sent to the school and the classroom teacher to reteach. Sounds great, but what if the teacher doesn’t know how to teach that skill?

The University of Adelaide has launched a new microcredential course focussing on explicit teaching. The Federal Minister for Education, Jason Clare is reported saying, “The reading wars are over. We know evidence based teaching methods work and this free short course will help teachers in the classroom” It’s all about teaching teachers how children actually learn to read, write and do maths. In recent times teachers have not been taught these teaching skills as part of their training.

The free course is offered online and can be completed at the teacher’s own pace. It will teach explicit instruction techniques, that is, a teacher explains a new concept to the students, directs the children to practice or repeat what they learnt, tests for success and reteaches where necessary. It is very specific teaching, directed by the teacher. Universities in South Australia will be required to include explicit teaching instruction in their teaching qualifications.

The first course, already available, teaches how to teach phonics, the sounding out of letters and words. I taught junior primary for most of my 40 years teaching and cannot believe phonics is not the basis of all reading skills taught. My friends, still in teaching, talk about children in their second and third year of education who cannot sound out or spell words phonetically.

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A course already offered online teaches teachers how to keep classrooms calm and under control. These skills are no longer assumed to be learnt at home. Children are taught to line up quietly, sit and to listen. Already 1280 teachers have completed the microcredential in classroom management.

Source : The Weekend Australian, November 23-24, 2024, by Natasha Bita, Education Editor.

odd jobs

Do you save buttons from old shirts? My Mother snipped the buttons off worn out shirts before they became cleaning cloths. The buttons were stored in old coffee jars, the white buttons separated into small for shirts and the bigger ones went into another jar. Every other colour was a mix of sizes. When I was working I also kept a jar of small white buttons in the laundry plus a needle threaded with white cotton. This meant I could replace a button within minutes and still get to work on time. Over the years I must have washed and ironed thousands of business shirts and school shirts and frequently needed to replaced buttons.

Luckily, I inherited my Mother’s button collection! An unusual but very useful inheritance. Just recently, I bought a pink linen shirt but really didn’t like the wintery, dark button at the front. Snip, and it was gone to be replaced by a large pink button from one of Mum’s button jars. The jars are stored in a cupboard where I can easily retrieve them, as they continue to be useful.

Snip, stitch, done.

The same day I had to repair three necklaces. Earlier in the year I’d restrung two of the necklaces, using a variety of pretty beads. I wore both regularly. I’d used clasps I bought in a local shop and within five or six times of wearing them, the clasps broke. Annoying. ( I used a large safety pin to connect each end of the necklaces for a few weeks. Not exactly ideal, but it worked!) So I went to a craft supplier and bought good quality clasps, took apart the two necklaces and a third which needed restringing and got to work. Really pleased with the quality of the fittings, now, and considering updating the catch on another necklace.

Repaired, back in service.

Then I decided to use up half a dozen large, super fresh golden yolked eggs a friend of my husband’s gave us. I made an egg and tomato pie, using up things I already had such as onions, tomatoes, spring onions and some yoghurt, plus the eggs and then some chives on top. Baked in the oven.

While the pie was cooking I peeled and quartered some apples. We really like fresh apples but this year they all seem to be a bit doughy. You know I hate wasting food, so I caramelised some caster sugar, swirled in some butter, then arranged the peeled, cored and quartered apples in the caramel. I’d cut the pastry to the size of the pan I’d used for making the caramel and had then stored it in the fridge. Quickly arranged it in the top of the apples, poked the sides down with a spoon and put it in the still hot oven. Smelt wonderful, tasted really good, too.

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Notre Dame, Jacarandas and Some Other Things

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notre dame

Some years ago we went to the midnight Christmas service at Notre Dame in Paris. I’d visited earlier to listen to a choral performance. I was not alone; apparently the 861 year old cathedral has more than twelve million visitors annually.

image Pixabay

A devastating fire five and a half years ago destroyed the roof and the spire. The exact cause of the fire has never been determined, but French officials focused on electrical malfunction or a poorly extinguished cigarette. Prosecutors and investigators say the fire was not caused by arson.

Intensive repairs, requiring the input of specialist restorers in many fields, will enable the cathedral to throw its doors open again in time for Christmas. There’s new stained glass, buffed stone walls and renewed frescoes. The opening will be marked by events to celebrate the work of the many engineers and artisans from all over France. The bells actually rang at the at the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, the first time since the devastating fire.

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This week the 14th century statue of Notre Dame de Paris, Our Lady of Paris, will return to Notre Dame. The statue was removed from the mantel at the south portal and kept in the church of Saint-Germain L’Auxerrois, near the Louvre. Thousands of people are expected to line the route along the Seine and across the river to the Ile de la Cité. The 1.8m (6ft) carving will be home again!

jacarandas

It’s that time of the year when the jacarandas are blooming everywhere. They are very beautiful and I like to go to areas where they were planted as street trees many, many years ago. I know when they were planted as my Mother was a school girl in our favourite area and used to tell us about afternoons spent planting street trees, many of which are jacarandas. They only bloom briefly but are gorgeous whilst in bloom.

Then this morning I read an article about how jacaranda trees can be very harmful. Jacarandas are not native to Australia ( they originated in South America). In Queensland and New South Wales they are considered an invasive weed, as they out compete native species. They flower heavily and produce a lot of seeds, which are wind and water dispersed, which means they enter ecosystems quite easily. They also grow quickly, about 2-3 metres a year in ideal situations. They quickly outgrow native species.

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Another problem is their invasive root system results in damage to foundations, retaining walls, swimming pools, fences, pathways and driveways. They also cause problems in stormwater drains. If you have jacarandas in your garden, Landcare suggests you suppress their growth by pruning. Most garden centres will suggest you plant native plants instead.

Interestingly, I cannot find any references to avoiding planting jacaranda trees in Western Australia. There’s many nurseries offering them for sale and information about caring for young trees. Our local council has planted several in our street recently to replace trees that have died.

and some other things

⊗ Christmas wrapping paper is on sale everywhere as Christmas draws near. The problem is it all becomes rubbish as soon as the big day is over. Consider buying paper which wrinkles and doesn’t resist scrunching as those papers treated with plastic or foil cannot be recycled. There’s lots of themed drawstring gift bags made from fabric available and these can be used and reused for years. If you’re adept at tying scarves, search online for the Japanese way of wrapping gifts with fabric, called Furoshiki, practiced in Japan since the Edo Era (1603-1867). Reuse the same squares of fabric year after year. Very pretty.

Image Pexels

⊗ Have you made a Christmas fruitcake? Usually I macerate the fruit early in October to make two cakes. This year was no ordinary year and no fruit was put to soak. A friend told me that business was no excuse and to make a boiled fruit cake. Went searching for information about ingredients, time taken to prepare and cook and how long will it last.

The ingredients are basically the same except a boiled fruitcake requires more butter, but it cooks for a similar amount of time, but most recipes advise the cake only lasts about two weeks. We were still eating the last of the Christmas 2023 cake a few weeks ago. I did make two and often forget about them for ages. The smell of the fruits and alcohol when I open the tin to cut some is amazing. I’ll probably make a boiled fruitcake soon.

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Bordallo Pinheiros, Carton Disposal and Inflation

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bordallo pinheiro

You may not know the name, but you’ll recognise these green ceramics! These pieces were originally designed by the Portuguese ceramics company founded by Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro in 1884. The design I like is based on a cabbage leaf, a metaphor for Portuguese rustic way of life. The brand mark is a frog in a circle with the brand name. There are many other designs but the Cabbage is my favourite.

My Mother gave me a Cabbage salad bowl years ago, probably because I adored hers, which I have now inherited. Over the years, my son has given me two other pieces. Then for my birthday, he surprised me with a box of Cabbage pieces! I now have two small bowls, two medium sized bowls and two larger bowls to add to the collection. It was a lovely surprise!

I’d admired a green leaf vase in Bali earlier this year. I was delighted when my husband bought me a similar vase when we returned home. He then gave me a smaller version of the vase as a birthday gift, too. I will be using all these pieces to create a red, white and green Christmas themed table this year. ( I have just realised Christmas is six weeks way, sorry to mention it, but I got a fright, too.)

Another birthday treat was the delivery of two boxes of macarons. Absolutely delicious and a lovely treat from our son.

The final birthday treat was a tart citron organised by my husband from a French bakery. I really like anything citrus and this was lovely.

recycling Cartons

“Gable” topped cartons generally contain fresh liquids, such as milk or orange juice. The cartons are usually 80% paper and 20% polyethylene. These are found in the chilled section and need to be kept in the fridge. These can be rinsed clean and put in your kerbside recycling bin. (Ours has a yellow lid.)

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Longlife or UHT cartons look like bricks and are made from liquid paperboard with a plastic exterior coating and the inner lining is aluminium (foil). These cartons often contain stock, long-life milk and long-life juice. They do not require refrigeration during transport or storage and are stocked on shelves in the supermarket. They have a long shelf life. They cannot be recycled due to the aluminium lining and go into landfill. (For us, the red lid bin).

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Bottled milk is harder to find and more expensive but the glass bottles can be recycled if you rinse the bottle and return it to where you bought it.

inflation

Interesting news item posted by the Australian Business Network (Dailytelegraph.com.au) revealing that Australians had been hit by creeping inflation since 2021. The Consumer Price Index figures, based on information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, have revealed that healthcare, cigarettes, education and utilities have increased in cost enormously since 1984.

As governments try to persuade people to give up smoking, cigarette prices have increased by 4 200%. This is ten times more than alcohol in the same period.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics, via the Consumer Price index also shows the following increases during the same period.

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Medical and Hospital Services 1 214%

Education 887%

Dental Services 522%

Spirits 416%

Beer 412%

Transport fares 394%

Lamb 387%

Childcare 365%

Fuel 305%

Interestingly, some things haven’t changed significantly over the last 40 years. Both telecommunications and computing costs have dropped, while household appliances and household textiles have hardly changed.

High energy costs and labour shortages create inflationary pressures. The government is attempting to reduce labour shortages by increasing immigration and increasing access to childcare. Unfortunately, all states and territories of Australia are experiencing housing shortages exacerbated by increasing the population.

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As we move towards a federal election, I’m sure we’ll hear numerous plans for improving the economy, but all government spending derives from tax payers money. We need longer term planning which extends beyond the parliamentary election cycle and a focus on obtaining value from money expended.

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Books and Reading

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reading

For months I have had a TO DO list for every day. Some of those things were pleasurable, like visitors or playing mahjong or going to yoga, but most days are less easy, involving banks, lawyers, phone companies and other jobs to do with my late Mother’s estate.

Although I had to soak a red wine stain out of a white tablecloth and do some other washing and water seedlings, I have sat to read a book. ( To remove a red wine stain, soak the mark in a mix of vinegar and washing detergent for about half an hour then put through the normal cycle you would use for the item. I left the tablecloth out on the line for most of the day as it was hot and helped whiten it.)

The stain on the right is now gone. Next, I’ll dip the tablecloth in starch and iron it. My Mother used to take my tablecloths and hers to the steam laundry in Bunbury, I need to look for a new steam laundry.

The red wine stain was a result of my husband hosting a bookclub meeting the night before. We didn’t have visitors except an electrician early this morning so I read a book, too. It was Nicci French’s Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? Recently published (29th Feb 2024) this is a typically dark and tragic story. Cleverly crafted, like all her murder mysteries, this is the story of two families, long term friends,both shattered by a family member being murdered, only days apart. The resolution was a surprise. Great book.

Murder stories are a bit of a theme at the moment. I don’t know why I find them so easy to read before I go to sleep. Last week I read Andrea Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano Mystery, The Overnight Kidnapper, the 23rd in this series. This story is different from the usual books involving Inspector Montalbano as it isn’t based on a news story, like all the other books in this series. As in every Inspector Montalbano story, the inspector uses his intuition and logic to solve three kidnappings and two murders.

All Camilleri’s Montalbano stories are based in two almost deserted Sicilian towns, Porto Empedolce and also Agrigento, now tourist destinations, but in the books known as Vigàta. If you’re a fan of the television series, you might like to rent Inspector Montalbano’s house on the waterfront. Look online for the details.

The other book I’ve read this week is not a murder story, it’s Liz Byrski’s The Woman Next Door. Byrski is the author of many novels and non fiction books. She began her writing career as a freelance journalist and a broadcaster. She lives locally and writes stories based in Western Australia. There aren’t many books written about streets and cafes I know, so it’s a pleasant change to read her books.

She also weaves wonderful stories. The Woman Next Door is typical Liz Byrski : it’s about older women and their choices and obligations, surrounded by families and often retirement, grandchildren and husbands developing new interests. The story deals with moving from large family homes, adult children moving away, an elderly neighbour developing dementia and meeting up again with old flames. A rich and engaging story.I really enjoyed reading this book.

I still have three murders, all written by Peters James. They are The Secret of Cold Hill, Picture You Dead and I Follow You. Have you read any of them?

All these books are from the library. I rarely buy books as we have so many. I only buy a book I’m sure I’ll reread or use as a reference.

We are blessed in Western Australia with an extensive public library system funded by State and Local Government. With free libraries throughout the suburbs managed by trained librarians and an extensive book stock books which may be unavailable at one library can be sourced and supplied by another anywhere in our state. Libraries with their meeting rooms also function as useful venues for local interest groups to meet, discuss, learn special skills or play games like bridge, chess or mahjong.

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Asparagus, So Long Maryanne and Halloween

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asparagus

Really pleased to find asparagus grown in Albany, an area down south in Western Australia. I’ve bought asparagus labelled Grown in Australia no area specified, which was an improvement on the asparagus more generally available in the past, grown in Mexico or Peru! Or Thailand. Locally grown, really fresh asparagus is lovely.

To prepare the spears for cooking, wash under running water then snap the ends off, they’ll come away where the woodiness ends. I usually cook them in the microwave. It’s easy, just dampen a length of paper towel ( I use three sheets folded in half) and wrap around the spears. Thin stalks need about two minutes, thicker ones need three minutes. Unwrap and serve. I often cut the cooked spears in half, so they fit well on the plate, then add a little dab of butter and a good squeeze of lemon. Delicious. (If the asparagus spears are quite long it’s probably easier to cook them in an asparagus steamer)

If you need to keep asparagus fresh for a few days, snap or cut the woody ends off and put them in a jar or glass with water. Best stored in the fridge. Drain, pat dry and steam or microwave as usual.

books

Do you remember Leonard Cohen singing So Long, Maryanne? I have just finished reading Kari Hesthamar’s book So Long Maryanne A Love Story. This biography begins when Maryanne, aged 22, travels to Hydra with her boyfriend, Axel Jensen. They have left Norway seeking a cheaper and more relaxed life, where Axel, an emerging author, can write.

They marry in 1958 and have a son Axel Joachim. They become part of an artist group of Westerners, including Australians Charmain Clift and George Johnson, both published authors. Axel has a book published and buys a house but believes he will find his purpose with other women and other places. He leaves Maryanne and new born son, Axel Joachim.

The island is inhabited by more than six thousand Greeks and six expats although others come and go. Maryanne and Axel had met Leonard Cohen within the expat group of artist and authors. When Axel abandons Maryanne and Axel Joachim, Cohen becomes close to Maryanne and eventually they live together. These are fluid times, fueled by drugs and alcohol. Maryanne goes back to Norway but cannot settle, then back to Hydra, then to Canada and France and America then Mexico, sometimes with Cohen, sometimes without. She seems to be always on the move, always restless. He gives up on writing books and becomes a singer, poet and song writer. He is very successful. Like Maryanne and Axel and others on the periphery of their group of artists, he is always ‘searching for himself.’

Maryanne drifts around, always in his orbit, and the relationship is gentle and kind but not monogamous, and eventually in 1972 she goes back to Norway to provide stable schooling for twelve year old Axel Joachim. Her son is taken by his father to India when he is fifteen and given acid. As a consequence, he has been institutionalised most of his adult life. Maryanne becomes employed and settles in Norway. She eventually meets a partner and has lived with him for many years.

Maryanne collaborated closely with the author of So Long, Maryanne providing many letters and other mementos referred to in the story.

Maryanne is the subject of one of the most famous love songs ever written, So Long, Marianne*. Her story has been made into a series, of the same name, currently showing on SBS On Demand in Australia. The book tells the story from Maryanne’s point of view, the series is written from Leonard Cohen’s point of view. Interesting. Both are a real insight into the 60’s in the arts world.

* The book spells Maryanne with a ‘y’, the film spells her name with an ‘i’. Maryanne herself spells her name with a ‘y’.

halloween

Do you celebrate Halloween? Originally a Celtic pagan celebration going back more than 2000 years, it marked the end of the harvest and the end of the year. The crops had been harvested and the beginning of shorter days leading into winter. Halloween is also celebrated on the eve of the feast All Hallows Day.

Door handle hanger from our letter box. (Duet)

I understand the enthusiasm for sweet treats and lollies but despite reading more than I need to know about Halloween I’m not sure about the mass of plastic rubbish associated with the event. The shops are full of plastic, disposable Halloween decorations. Not good.

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