3rd February 2010 (Wednesday)

Well can I just say, after the little escapade with sodium hydroxide I'm just glad that the Pie is alive, and hope the fingers recover as quickly as possible. The awfulness of the result is just to horrific to admit of any scolding for COMPLETE LACK of COMMON SENSE.... though one would be sorely tempted. Please please treat those hands gently and give them a bit of time to recover. POOR PIE!!!

Not that there's anything of that magnitude to report here (thank goodness), today's Stuff. We have visited more and more and more schools, and our jaws are dropping further and further earthwards at the difference between these schools and English ones. The number of times I came back from a viewing absolutely trembling with the fear of the thought that the Non would end up in the establishment I'd just visited.... and for contrast, not a single one of the schools we've seen so far has been anything but pleasant, well-grounded, welcoming and lovely. There really isn't a single one that we thought 'definitely not' quite amazing, really.

This morning was Merewether Heights, and actually personally I think it might be my favourite so far. At just under 300 it's a middling-sized establishment, but the whole area seems pretty green and grassed. The Kindergarten area is very pleasant in particular - they have two classrooms and both look out onto the communal kindergarten courtyard, one opposite the other. The school is not taking on any out-of-zone students so we'd have to move before they considered us, but if we managed to move into area we'd be guaranteed a place (as with all the others). There was something like Baby-bear's porridge about it to me, not too hot, not too salty, it was just right. Nice location to live in, too. But downside is that there appears (on the face of it) to be NO rental market in Merewether Heights... we might be looking into this further a little later down the line, we'll see.

On the way home we popped into New Lambton Primary - this is the one that has the highest proportion of kids going on to Merewether High School, which is the best high school in the area. Now this one, we didn't get an interview, they just said sorry, we don't have time to give tours to people who are not in the area, but you can fill in an application of interest form and if things settle down in a week or so we'll call you. So we did. However, possibly of all the schools we think this one might actually be least suitable. New Lambton is pretty urbanised - in a sprawling, hot sort of way, small shops, wide streets, little breeze or views. The school is one of the biggest we've seen at about 580 students and it occupied a very small patch of ground. The playground is almost entirely asphalted over and it's densely occupied with very lively kids - all obviously having a good time but densely packed nevertheless. The school is also very obviously more academically minded - the lobby is cramped and entirely filled from floor to wall with trophies and awards for all fields of junior attainment, and even the few trees outside are labelled at the base with their Latin names. All of which is entirely laudable and commendable.... however there was that distinct aroma of 'pressure' rather than 'encouragement' and the certain fever that comes with overcrowding that is unmistakable. We haven't ruled it out, and if we get an interview before we decide on anything else, we'll give it a go, definitely. But I think it may at the current moment be the bottom of our list. Plus, we're not sure where exactly in New Lambton we might like to live - especially close enough to walk easily to school. All this might need further research.

Much later on in the day, I called up Kahibah primary, and got through to the Principal, who said well I've got a short while before my next appointment, why don't you come down now. So we dropped everything and TRIED to get down there. However we had to first overcome a tantrum (the Non wasn't planning on this and had other ideas for the 2pm - 3pm gap, threw a right fit when asked to go to the loo before we left, had to be dealt with), THEN we had to stop for petrol, THEN we found that the TomTom just wasn't picking up the GPS and were forced to go back home for the map, THEN had to stop on the way because we found the Non had unbuckled herself from the belt when we stopped at the house and hadn't notified us... in short, if it could go wrong it did and although it was only about 35 minutes after I put the phone down in the first instance we were really too late for any sort of proper interview. So we're due back at 9:15 tomorrow morning. But in the meantime the Principal met with us and she was really lovely, very welcoming - in fact alarmingly so, we suddenly found that she was instructing us on where to buy school uniform tomorrow morning and it dawned on us that there may have been a very slight communication gap. Anyway, we'll go back tomorrow and see it in some more detail and leisure. School itself at first glance seems very nice, but we both think the main sticking point might be the neighbourhood. It's very strange how small pockets of Newcastle have entirely different feels to them - this one is only 5 minutes' drive down from Merewether Heights but could be on Mars it's so different. It reminded us both instantly of some of those little towns out in Texas like Bastrop. Quiet, sleepy, mainly bungalows, immediately looks as if everybody knows everybody else and if probably in all of each others pockets and beds, little local shops and a general pall of sleepy watchfulness over all. I'm not entirely sure we could hack it, to be honest. It's very odd as it's not as if it's 45 minutes' drive to anywhere nearby like in Texas, but JUST next door to completely different areas. Still, that seems to be the way Newcastle works.

So, three schools down today - we've still got Hamilton South to hear back from (this one I'm very interested in), and we might also go to Newcastle Grammar just for the feel of it but we're coming close to the end of the selection of schools. And frankly feel utterly spoiled for choice. The locations are almost uniformly nice. The staff are friendly, efficient and welcoming, with a certain refreshing no-nonsense air to them all. The children seem happy, active and alert. The classrooms are well kept and built for function and enjoyment. All schools seem to have a pretty shrewd idea of the general needs of ASD children, and are not at all phased by it, particularly as they recognise the increased incidence of accompanying talents for high-functioning individuals. The turnaround time for extra funding kicking in seems to be miraculously fast by British standards - one principal said there was an instance where funding took 'ages' to come - nearly a term!!! HAH! he hasn't lived. The next term starts in April, we'd be absolutely laughing. In short, so far it seems unbelievably plain sailing. All we'll need to do is choose and find a house.

Well, I think that might be enough to bore the pants of anyone. Are you all wearing your pants and or socks, or have they been blown clean off with boredom? There might have been other things happening along the line but mainly this is our business at the moment, so I won't bother. Alas, I forgot my camera today on the visits so no pics - I'll try and take some tomorrow. Anyway, lots of love to all and extra good wishes for poor unfortunate hands, (xxxxxxxxxxx), V xxxxxxxxx