BowerFarm: Lots of school activities

Since we arrived there has been a flush of school activities with the grandkids Rowan and Avery. It is the end of the term and they will be off Thursday for their summer holiday.

First Avery's class had a picnic and a swim at the school. Everyone brought a few items to eat. well, actually not a few but enough to feed the 27 kids in the class. Lolly made chocolate chip cookies for Avery to take. When lunch time came the food was all laid out on a long table and the kids got up in orderly groups and got a few items to eat. This was repeated about four times, so everyone got a good choice. The teacher invited us to join in after the kids had pretty much their fill. There was still lots yo eat. When they finished eating they went into the dressing rooms and put on their swim suits. We were pleasantly surprised to see how polite and orderly the kids were.

Monday both grades had an outing which involved climbing to the top of what seemed to me to be a very high mountain, planting a tree and coming back down again for a catered lunch of sausages and fruit. Our hike started from the school yard and continued to a park at the base of this foreboding cliff where they kids were allowed to play on the swings, teeter-totters, etc. After some playing around, they had their tea-time and then stacked their backpacks under a tree in preparation for our tramp up the "mountain".

We started out in a long queue and serpentined up the side of this mountain, kids by class and parents and teachers injected here and there. By the time we reached the top, most of the parents were a the end of the line, red-faced and puffing. Most of the teachers to their credit and extraordinary fitness held their positions. More play and noise. Then they took turns examining a small tree planted three years ago by an earlier class. It is a tree I believe they call New Zealand Christmas tree.

They view from the top was exhilarating. The wind was up and e could see the waves rolling into the beach as insect-sized people paddled boards out to catch a wave. Then all the children were gathered up in a group to sing the national anthem in Maori. They then asked who were the newcomers to NZ (Avery and Rowan raised their hands) and the most recent -a boy- was given the honor and responsibility to plant the new tree.

After the planting, we hiked back down , more playing ensued and then lunch was served. The sausages were shorter and fatter than out hot dogs. I asked Avery if they were good and she quickly informed me that "Hot dogs are better". The serve them on a piece of folded bread and topped with catsup. (Purists can shriek now!)

Avery is the one with brown shoes on

Lolly and I took off for the town center for coffees while we waited for the end of the school day. It's a considerable hike from the Bower house to the school yard -about 35 minutes- so we did not want to get home and turnaround and come back.