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7/52 QSLW 2026

So this week was Queensland School Library Week. And because I run a school library in Queensland… this week was my week to do stuff!!!

 

On Monday lunchtime, I ran a “QR Club”. QR meaning ‘quiet reading’ of course! And I was quite happy that students joined me; mainly Year 7s but Year 8s and even Year 11s as well. Tuesday was “Writers’ Group” which was less well attended because our Middle School students were all at their swimming carnival. Wednesday I ran “Illustrators Unite!” because why should words have all the fun? And Thursday was chess. We started with social games, but then took names for the tournament to start next week. And Friday was our Problem Solving group. Have you ever heard of “OzCLO”? It’s the Australasian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad… and the problems are HARD! But we won’t do this each week. Next week we’ll launch our Student Book Club during Friday lunch, so that should be interesting!

 

School Libraries might be viewed as places where ‘you go there if you’re a nerd’. Not on my watch, I hope. Not while I’m in charge of this particular school library. Because this week’s lunchtime activities were the launch week only. We’ll be continuing them each week … and this will join the general hubbub of board games, card games, chess games, enjoying books, and of course, study. We are a high school, after all!

 

So that was my week. A lot of organising, a lot of planning, and hopefully the beginning of a lot of fun! How was your week, dear Reader?

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teaching Work

3/52 School starts tomorrow!

Aarrghhh!!!

I don’t feel ready…

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places to visit teaching Work

26/52 and what a halfway it is!

I started the week with meetings and deadlines. And ended in Sydney with chameleon socks, capybaras and Cats.

First, the deadlines:

Then the work began in earnest:

And then the fun:

What a week! I hope your halfway-through-2025-mark was just as wonderful, dear Reader!

KRidwyn

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momentous events places to visit teaching Work

24/52 Phew!

So Monday was assemblies and Tuesday was Chocolate Chess (7.30am start) through to Instrumental Showcase (finishing at 8pm).

Wednesday 5am was:

Flew to Sydney

Then:

Sal Kahn: inspiration
Insanely yummy desserts

It’s amazing the people you run into!

And it was a blessing that Livid was on 🙂

Then:

Double-decker train!!! To the sister school for a one day conference and Library visit:

Before flying home, and then today playing violin and bass guitar at church and being Bible Reader… and then clearing my inbox! (First time this term!)

PHEW!!! I need a holiday now, I think…!

I hope your week is just as full of memorable events, dear Reader 🙂

KRidwyn

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Random thoughts teaching Work

8/52 on focus and distraction

It’s Saturday morning, and we’ve finished Week 4 of term. Nearly half-way there! And I feel like I’m starting to emerge from the ‘head-down-bum-up’ non-stop ‘doing the work’ that’s been my life this year.

Take a breath.

Look around.

Take a second breath – because I can.

It certainly has been a busy start to the year. The line between important and urgent, work and home has been blurred, and I’ve made more mistakes than I’d like to think about… but praise God for sustaining me to reach this morning, this day, this weekend!

A day in which to reconsider priorities, rather than just paddle, paddle, paddle furiously like that duck who seems to be swimming serenely but underneath the surface, the legs are flailing relentlessly.

And this is where I’m thinking I’ll start. This post, which came across my feed the other week, and had me thinking about the spectrum of ‘focus’ to ‘scattered mindset’:

You see, when there’s multiple things pulling at your attention, it’s easy to do the ‘fun’ thing. To mix the ‘important’ with the ‘urgent’ and focus on the wrong thing. To allow distractions to take over, to move you off course. Or maybe that’s just me?

So today, this morning? A reset. A chance to sit back and look. And think. And re-prioritise. Circle those 5 things and – more importantly – identify those 20 distractions.

Here’s hoping for quite a lot more clarity by the end of it! And for you too as well, dear Reader!

KRidwyn

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Random thoughts teaching Technology Work

4/52 Gen Alpha

I was blessed, Monday just gone, to listen to a couple of AMAZING speakers at my new workplace’s staff retreat. Now I’m not one of those people who points her phone at, and takes photos of, a speaker’s screen… but this week, I did.

This one because it’s kinda funny (and true of not just Gen Alpha!):

But this one because it’s really indicative of how society is changing, and the trajectory of this change. It’s not difficult to predict what will be next, yes?

Anyway, these are some thoughts I’ve been pondering over the past week. How my generation influences others… and how they will influence others on turn. No wonder God says to “teach your children” (intentionally!) – Deuteronomy 11:19 and Proverbs 22:6 spring to mind – because it’s so important!

Without intentional teaching, things change unintentionally. And that may not necessarily be a good thing for society at large. Humankind is far more well known for its greed and selfishness than its compassion and altruism.

So: I wonder what this coming week will bring? And how I can go about being more intentional in it?

Have an intentional week yourself, dear Reader!

  • KRidwyn
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Blogging challenges teaching Work

52/52 All fixed :)

Today, the final Sunday of 2024, marks my final post for the year as well. Woohoo! And I’ve fixed the numbering too, did you notice? t was easy… I just skipped posts 50 and 51!

So this week had Christmas, with the over-catering and the present exchanging and the relaxing. And next week will have the New Year’s celebrations and resolutions and all that jazz, so there’s that 🙂

Looking back, I’m quite proud of my blogging achievements this year. In spite of everything else that was going on, this was one thing I managed to (mostly!) stay consistent with, so yay me 🙂 🙂 🙂 meaning that I’m going to attempt this again next year. Each Sunday, one post. Preferably with a photo, but we’ll see how I go wth that one.

It should be an interesting year. New job, new workplace, only one cherub left at school, and all the rest of it!

Here goes – and HAPPY NEW YEAR when it gets here, dear Reader!

  • KRidwyn
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Random thoughts Reading teaching Work

48/52 Nearly there!

Today marks the 48th of these weekly posts. How cool is that! I must admit, I’m quite proud of myself for keeping this going 🙂

This past week has been all about the catch-ups. I’ve caught up with my inbox (I’m now down to one email in my inbox, and I’m keeping that one; the reason for which will be a post for another day) and also caught up with my bestie and with other friends and colleagues and past colleagues and… and… and the list goes on. I made it into my new workspace briefly, I drank coffee, and didn’t sleep (surprise surprise) and I also visited my old workplace, took Master15 to both doctor and optometrist, managed some Christmas shopping, read “The Book Haters Book Club” and finally finished Season 2 of Arcane. Today after church was more Christmas shopping with Hubby, then we watched Gladiator 2.

Phew! No wonder I’m pretty tired! Looking ahead to next week: there’s fewer things on, for which I’m grateful 🙂

Here’s praying your week is a not-so-busy-one too, dear Reader!

  • KRidwyn

 

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Life momentous events teaching

47/52 And it’s clearing out time…

New job next year: I’m back to Nambour Christian College… which was the school that I moved to the Coast for in the first place! Head of Library position, replacing an amazingly talented man who’s retiring.

So, for the first time since 2016, I find myself on Christmas holidays with one job finished and the other not yet started. It’s a weird feeling. I’ve ALWAYS done work over the Christmas break. But I can’t right now. There’s nothing to do for CCPS and I can’t start anything at NCC! So I guess by default that means it’s “clearing out of stuff” time.

And check out my inbox! I can’t remember the last time it was at less than 20. And yes now I’m down to just 13!!! I wonder if I can get it to zero by New Year’s?

Wish me luck! Have have a lucky week yourself, dear Reader!

  • KRidwyn
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teaching Work

46/52 Morning mist…

Work duties are done and dusted for the year… it’s morning walk time!

And through the mist? It looks heavenly, doesn’t it?

Happy holidays, dear Reader!
⁃ KRidwyn