Beautiful Hawaii

Since our arrival in Waikiki last Thursday evening we have been enjoying the sun, sand, surf and shopping. It's hard to believe that less than a week ago we were in Kingston frantically packing and cleaning and that we were accepting of temperatures below -15 degrees. How quickly one becomes acclimatised to sunshine, t-shirts and warmth! I am thankful for this week. As a transition from our year in Ontario to our homecoming, it's perfect!

Yesterday John, myself and the boys enjoyed a brief outing to the Honolulu Zoo. We enjoyed the tropical setting as we viewed the various exhibits. Our favourites were the chims who amused us with their antics for quite a while!

Christmas in Hawaii

In and around Kingston

All those things I meant to do all year suddenly crept up on me during my last week in Canada. One of the things I wanted to do was take some great pictures of Down Town Kingston. I finally did. It was our second last day in Canada and at -15 degrees was rather chilly. The morning though, was glorious and the sunrise over Lake Ontario was quite spectacular.

More fun with Friends

During his time in Kingston, Max made many great freinds with who he hopes to remain in contact for a long time to come. On one of our last nights in Canada, his friends got together and surprised him with a going away party. He was presented with a Roots Toque and Sweater. (Very Canadian!) Max regards the people that he met as a highlight of his time away!

Last Days, Parties and Great Friends

Our last few days in Kingston were a flurry of parties, goodbyes, packing & cleaning. Every samll thing seemed significant: the last visit to the LCBO, the last drive down town, the last Tim Bit, the last time to see our friends, the last day of driving our van before we sold it, the last feel of Arctic weather and the last night in our Kingston home.

We were lucky enough to spend our last evening in Kingston with our neighbours, Don & Linda. This enabled us to clean our house and move out so that everything could be washed and replaced. There were a few tears shed when it came time to say goodbye!

We have shipped a cubic meter of freight home and we expect that it will arrive back in Sydney sometime mid february. We were also maxed out to the limit with our luggage. I cant believe what we have accumulated over the year!

Yesterday, we left Toronto on a 10.00am flight with a two hour stop over in Calgary. This was an adventure in itself. By the time we checked in through US customs and made our way to the next departure point, it was almost time to leave. What followed was a seven hour flight to Honolulu. We all pretty much collapsed on this flight through exhaustion. Though, I did enjoy a fantastic view of the Rocky Mountains as we passed overhead.We landed in Honolulu around 8.00pm local time and found our way to the hotel.

We plan to spend this week doing very little expcet relaxing and enjoying the balmy temperatures. Today, being Christmas was spent opening a few small presents, cruising the main drag, checking out the shops & the beach and lounging by the pool. Tonight we hope to find a buffet so that we can enjoy Christmas Dinner.

Aloha everyone!

Christmas greetings from the Carter Family

Every year we send a Christmas letter detailing our comings and goings to our family and friends. hat follows is our 2009 edition.

Greetings from the Carter family for the Christmas of 2009. This has been a very special year for us as we have spent it in Canada as part of a teacher exchange program.
We arrived into a Canadian winter at the beginning of January and settled into our cosy exchange home in Kingston, Ontario. Our early days were spent buying winter clothes and acclimatising to snow and temperatures as low as minus 27!
Veronica began teaching at Holy Cross secondary School (a school of 1400 students), where Emily also attended, while Max and Nicholas were both enrolled across the road at Mother Teresa Elementary School. A school of over 300 students, this was quite a challenge for the boys after coming from their small Tilba school. However, within a few short weeks, all three children had settled in and made lots of friends. Canadian people loved to hear their accents, and they were quickly accepted into their school communities.
Veronica has found the high school system to her liking and has thoroughly enjoyed her year of teaching. She has taught Careers and Civics courses, and has appreciated the early finish to her day and the short drive to and from work. John, meanwhile, has played house husband, taxi driver and has been teaching as a supply teacher in the local Catholic elementary schools since April.
It has been a wonderful year for us both professionally and as a family. Some of the travel highlights of our year have included a week in New York City during March and a seven week, 10 000km caravan trip to the Atlantic Maritimes and down into the United States to Washington DC over the summer break. We have also ventured to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, the Muskokas, Barries Bay and Niagara Falls, as well as numerous day trips to local places.
The children have had the opportunity to skate, snowboard and ski during the winter. Nicholas and Max have played soccer and swum competitively, while Emily has danced the year away at a very professional dance school. They have all done well in their school studies. We have been very proud of the way in which they have tried so many new things. Emily won a dancing role in her school’s performance of ‘Westside Story’, while Max was elected by his peers as School ‘Team Leader’. Not to be outdone, Nicholas was also elected by his class as their representative on the Student Council.
We have made many friends that we hope will continue to be part of our lives in years to come. We have been made to feel very welcome and are saddened in many ways to have to leave.
As we send you this Christmas message, we are preparing to return home to Narooma (and our much loved – and missed - dog Cozmo!). We leave Canada on Christmas Eve, and will spend Christmas Day in Hawaii before returning to Australia on January 1st. We will catch up with John’s family in Sydney and Nowra before we head back down the coast to Dalmeny and a relaxed January.
We hope you and your family are well as we head into the Christmas season and that you have had a safe and happy year. We would love to hear from you in 2010.

Merry Christmas

Veronica, John, Emily, Max and Nicholas

A huge thankyou to the staff at Holy Cross Secondary School, Kingston!

A Open letter to the Staff of Holy Cross Secondary School

As my time here at Holy Cross draws to a close I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone here for such a wonderful year. Taking yourself, your work and your family and uprooting a comfortable existence to go and live in another country for a year is a big decision. When John and I first started talking about an exchange it was full of unknowns and before we left Australia there were still plenty of times when I wondered if I was doing the right thing.As soon as we arrived in Canada however, I was certain I was doing the right thing. 2009 has been an absolutely amazing year for my family and myself and I wouldn’t have missed the experience for anything.
We’ve travelled to many parts of Eastern Canada and the US, spent time exploring New York City, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec. We’ve been to Niagara Falls twice and spent several weekends experiencing the cottage life in various places around Ontario. We’ve seen bears, beavers, skunks, squirrels, racoons, ground hogs and a couple of moose! We’ve tried maple syrup, beaver tails, cod tongues and moose burgers! We now consider ourselves experts on how to survive a Canadian winter along with the other seasons. (I can almost drive at 80km per hour through a raging blizzard without flinching!)
We have enjoyed experiencing the Canadian lifestyle but mostly we got the chance to get to know Canada by getting to know Canadians. It has been the people we’ve met, far more than any other aspect of the exchange that has been the most rewarding and incredible aspect of our year. I have been blown away by the friendliness, acts of kindness and hospitality that has been shown to me and members of my family during our time here.
I wanted to thank everyone here at Holy Cross for making me feel so welcomed into the school community, and being so willing to help me, share ideas and talk about life in general and education in particular. I would particularly like to acknowledge my colleagues in the Social Science Department, the dedicated people who work in Special Ed and the support provided by all who work in Student Services. My special thanks is also extended to Admin and the wonderful ladies in the office. Your support and friendly faces are something I’ve come to value. This year, I’ve met many people here at Holy Cross with whom I’ve developed friendships and who I hope to be able to continue to stay in touch with in coming years.
My daughter Emily also attended Holy Cross and her transition from her Australian school to Canada was eased by the friendliness and professionalism of her teachers: Mike Hamilton, Carrie Rose, Karen Mulvihill, Diane McCombs, Stacy Check, Anne Macrow, Dan Roberts & Rob Watts. You are special people and I thank you for the care you have given to my daughter. She is very sad to be leaving.
The chance to experience a different work environment and a different educational system has been valuable both personally and professionally, and I have relished the opportunity to experience those differences. I will certainly return home to Australia with fresh ideas from the many great things that I’ve seen happening here at Holy Cross. What really stood out to me though, was the warmth and caring that you all show to the students you teach, and to each other. It is you, the staff, that makes this place great, and I thank you for allowing me to be a part of your community.

I suspect that I will be back here at some stage, and of course, if you’re ever in Australia I would love to be able to return some of your hospitality. Thanks again for everything you’ve done for me.

Sincerely, Veronica Harrold-Carter

It all comes to an end

What a week we've had!
Yesterday was my last day of teaching at Holy Cross and the last day for the kids at their respective schools. It was a day filled with very mixed emotions and plenty of tears. We will all miss our friends here very much and will always treasure the memories of our special year away.
We have had a week of farewells kicking off last Friday night with the HCSS Staff Social. Here the staff presented me with a beautiful gift. Saturday evening was pleasantly spent with Bill & Sandra Duff - our Kiwi friends. Monday was spent catching up with our good friend, John Menzo. Tuesday night was the Mother Teresa Family Mass. On wednesday, John and I went to Michele's for Dinner. Thursday evening saw us out attending the Katharine Splinter Memorial Concert where Emily performed in both the Junior Band and the Vocal Ensemble. Last night was drinks at Ann & Sean's annual Christmas bash. And today? Well, today we are off to the swimming club for a surprise farwell party for the boys. We are also attending a skating party for one of Nick's friends. Tonight we will visit with Chris MacDonald and his family! Sunday night, it's out to Chez Piggy with Don & Linda and on Monday we will host Harry & Sandy Murphy at out home!
I think I need a holiday!

Snow Day! Snow Play!

Yesterday saw the first major snow fall for the season here in Kingston. It is still surreal to me to be teaching and look out of my window to see snow falling. The city was transformed into a winter wonderland in a matter of an hour or so.

When we picked up the boys, they were very excited and we all rushed home to change into our snow gear to go outside and play. The kids built snowmen and threw snowballs at each other. The boys played in the yard until dark (about 4.45pm). We were the only ones out playing on the street. Funny that! I wonder why there were no Canadian out playing and taking pictures?

West Side Story

November in Review

The year has flown  and November has come and gone! This has been a pretty quiet month where we stayed close to home. Everyone is simply enjoying what Kingston has to offer. The boys are swimming, Em is dancing. She was also in the school's production of West Side Story.We dont see much of her at the moment as she always seems to be out with many different friends. John and I are working, cleaning and thinking about packing. Our thoughts are turning to home yet we are trying to hold onto every moment we have here! What a year! What an adventure!

The Boys Become Media Celebrities!

Hockey, Hockey & More Hockey!

Enjoying late Fall in Ontario

October in Retrospect!

Halloween

Halloween! The kids have been looking forward to this night for most of the year. Decked out in costumes that had been purchased months ago, they arranged to meet up with their respective friends and went out to experience their first ever chance to "Trick or Treat"!
John and I walked around our neighbourhood with Nick and his friends, Colin & Adam. The decorated houses and friendliness of the people within, gave the night a real community feel. Of course, we had our own cauldron full of candy to give to the many creepy callers that came knocking on our door. The little kids were the cutest!
When the kids came home and compared their piles of candy, we ate some of the special "Haunted Pumpkin" cake that Emily made and iced. We also enjoyed watching the carved pumpkins (another first for our family) glow in our window. I'm not sure how the kids are going to eat all that candy before it's time to leave Canada but I'm sure they are going to give it a really good go!

Fall in Canada

Fort Fright

Last Saturday evening, John & I took the kids to Fort Fright. At first Nick was a little nervous but was soon converted to the fun Halloween spirit evident everywhere. We manged to have a few laughs despite the crowds.
This year is our first reall Halloween and we plan to make the most of it. The kids cant wait to go Trick or treating next saturday night!

Girls Night In

Last Friday night I was invited to spend the night at Liz Dalton's place on Howe Island, a small island on the St Lawrence River. Liz and her husband Bill have just built a beautiful home on this island and I was keen to see how it had been finished. Shelly, Deidre & Dianne picked me up around 5.30 and we drove out in time to meet the others for appetizers and a few drinks. Little did I know what these girls had planned for me. Dianne and Shelly had conjured up a range of "genuine" Canadian costumes. Naturally, I was compelled to model them. I looked every inch the sexy Canadian Chick! (Really, I did!)
After dinner we settled around the table for gift sharing and stealing amidst general frivolity. Before we knew it, 2.00am had come around and we wearliy tumbled into bed.
Kingston has become almost our second home and we will miss everyone when we leave in a few short weeks. We are all trying to make the most of the time we have left in Canada. Our whole family has loved this experience and the memories we take home with us are precious!

Nick has a Birthday

Toronto

Friday Night Lights