Opawa School

I have started my first week of school! It has many differences from American Schools. Firstly, many public schools have uniforms and only private schools have a transportation system to pick children up for school. Public school children must find their own way to school. Most students write in pen and pencil. I like that the teachers encourage inventive spelling but then also encourage students to question incorrectly spelled words-designating green colored ink as an editing color. Students have two periods of recess (called play) and lunchtime play. Teachers have 3 30 minute breaks throughout the day. School session is from about 9am to 3pm. The students eat their lunches outside on the steps up against their classroom (no matter how cold)-there is no lunch room or provided school lunch, and teachers check lunch boxes to make sure every student has eaten most/all of their lunch before they can go to recess. If it rains, the students stay under the porch. They also do not have specials-art or music. PE is taught...but by the classroom teacher-not a separate PE teacher. The school is not connected-you must walk outside to reach the office/nurses office (called the Sick Bay), and library. The indigenous group in New Zealand is known as the Maori, and Maori children are intermixed throughout the school. Almost everything in the school is labeled with a Maori word- and the students learn phrases and words in Maori language. The children are also encouraged to produce "Quality Work" (learning to color in the lines and which way to color, etc...). Here are a few differences in English/New Zealand words:

Recess is "play"

An Eraser is a "rubber" and students "rub off" pencil marks

A period is called a "Full Stop"

Thank you is "Cheers"

Rich/Affluent areas are called "posh"

Trash is called "Rubbish"

The bathroom is called the "loo" or the "toilet"

A candy is called a "lollie"

To float around a classroom is to "rove"

A jumper/jacket/sweater is called a "jersey"