Hello All!
I hope you are enjoying your holidays! After spending a year in Australia, it's very different being back home in England... or am I???
I will post a few photos over the next few days - see if you can work out where I am!
PS Who is Barnaby again?
Hello friends,
How are you doing? Thought I'd send you a quick update before I leave the country and head off back to sunny Southampton... make sure that sun is still shining for me when I arrive as I'm very used to it having been living here in Australia for almost a year!!
Last week I accompanied my Grade 6 host on a special trip to learn all about things Japanese. It was a very interesting day. We took a 45 minute bus trip to the Botanic Gardens where we learned some martial arts, viewed a Japanese tea ceremony and listened to the Japanese flute. We also looked at many bonsai trees.
For lunch we had teryaki chicken and spring rolls. I struggled with the chop sticks! The children helped me but I like to use my paws!
Well, I'll be off now as I'm on my way to the airport shortly. I will see you all very soon!
Love from Oscar. x x
PS Does anyone know what the Japanese writing at the top is?
Hello all,
As I've been working so hard in school here over the past few weeks, my hosts decided they would treat me to a day out at Warner Brothers Movie World on The Gold Coast. I had such a fun day!
I was allowed to walk around the film sets and pretend I was a film star whilst I had several photos taken, and of course there are some big rides there too. I was a bit scared about going on some of them, my hosts are braver than me! We met some real Movie stars like Batman and Scooby Doo!!
Well, as you may know, I'm about to return to Oakwood very soon. I have a couple more weeks here with a special trip planned for next week which I will let you know all about soon. In the meantime, I've started packing my bags.
I've had a great time living "Down Under". It's been a wonderful experience of a new country and different culture. There's no place like home though!! See you all soon!
Oscar. x
Hello Folks!
How are you all doing?
I'm sorry I haven't been in touch for a while.....I have been soooooo busy!!
How did you all go with your SATS a few weeks ago? I thought I'd be able to escape them whilst I'm here in Brisbane, but no such luck, they have them here too! They are called NAPLAN here: National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy, and they have to do them in years 3, 5, 7 and 9!
Last month I went on a school camp...it was awesome!
Unfortunately the photos the teachers took of me have gone astray so you can't see what I got up to, but I can tell you I had great fun. We stayed up really late both nights and during the day we did high rope climbing, abseiling, raft building and canoeing! On the last night we had a disco and a trivia quiz. I had such fun.
I hope you are all being good at Oakwood....and that the sun is warming up as you are going into summer. It's autumn here now, but it's really nice weather. I'm still in my shorts and t-shirt at school!
Bye for now
Oscar x
Hello!
How is everyone at Oakwood? I hope Spring is in the air for you all now. I'm still having trouble with the heat here in Brisbane....I wish I could lie in the trees all day like the koalas do!
Yesterday I had a very exciting day as I accompanied my hosts on a school excursion to Ngutana-Lui, an Aboriginal and Islander Cultural Studies Centre. Ngutana-Lui is the aboriginal word meaning 'to learn'.
I had a fantastic day learning all about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. I had a go at throwing a boomerang (I wasn't very good!) They made it look so easy! I had the opportunity to hear the didgeridoo. It was interesting to learn that only the men are allowed to play this. I also got to learn about some Australian plants which the aboriginals use as medicine and watch the kids have their faces painted.
Next week I am going on school camp! I am going to a place called Tallabudgera on the Gold Coast. I think I am able to go canoeing, raft building and use the rope swing bridges in the trees. I can't wait!
Bye for now,
Oscar.
Just thought I'd let you know that because I've been such a good bear working hard in my new school, my hosts took me for a special day trip to Seaworld yesterday on The Gold Coast. It was such fun!
I went on a ride called The Bermuda Triangle and I took a ride on the log flume and got very wet!
I had a very yummy lunch and I also met some of my relatives...
Back to school tomorrow!
Hi all,
Sorry it's been a while. I have been so busy at my new school.
The weekend before I started school I took part in some Australia Day celebrations. You can see me in the photo waving my Australian flag. I saw some fireworks which were great.
My new school is called Guardian Angels and is located in a suburb called Wynnum which is right on the coast. I can see the sea from my classroom window. This is great because we get a nice breeze off the water which helps cool me down as it feels very hot with my fur and new uniform. I was almost wishing for snow like you had in Southampton a couple of weeks ago!
School in Australia is quite different to Oakwood. To start with you have to wear a hat every day. This is because of the warm sunshine all year round. If you don't have your hat on they don't let you go out to play at break times. The rule says 'no hat, no play'! Lucky my hosts are used to this and remind me every day to put it on.
I have learned about the weather and we do lots of sport.
The school are so excited to have me visit and they have lots of exciting things planned for me to do over the coming weeks. Next month they are taking me to an Aboriginal Education Centre to learn all about the Aboriginal people and life in the bush. I can't wait to tell you all about it.
Until next time,
Oscar.
Here's what's arrived so far...
They look amazing! Keep up the good work! (And stay warm!)
Oscar
Hello All!
Oscar here down in Brisbane, Australia, where it's...
28°C! (Phew!)
But I'm missing the snow you've got back in Southampton!
I've seen some great photos of snowmen on the web...
...and I've got a prize for the best snowman you can build!
You can email a digital photo to me: oscar@oakwood-jun.southampton.sch.uk and I'll put any that I receive on the blog!
(Any SnowBears might win a prize too! - Don't forget to put your name and class in the email!)
Dear All
I've had a wonderful few weeks since arriving in Brisbane. I haven't had time to write before now but I hope you got my postcard???
I've been to the beach and learned to surf! (Santa bought me a surf board!)
I've also been to Australia Zoo (home of the late Steve Irwin) and fed the kangaroos, stroked a koala and laughed with the kookaburras. They are soooo funny!
I am off camping today for Australia Day weekend. It's when all the Aussies celebrate being Australian! (I'm sure they will let me join in!)
I start at my new school next week and have my new uniform all ready....photos to follow!! Watch this space.
Love, Oscar ...
Hello!
After a two-day trip up from NSW I arrived in QLD yesterday.
It was a tiring trip, but I was warmly welcomed by my new hosts: The Robinson Family (ex OJS pupils!)
I was treated to a lovely Aussie BBQ and a rest under the Christmas tree looking at all the presents!!!
Today we had a trip to the Science Centre at the Brisbane Museum and then we went on the Wheel of Brisbane which is a smaller version of the London Eye, but very exciting! I could see panoramic views of the city!
The weather is much warmer up here than it was in NSW....my new hosts are trying to find me some board shorts to wear so I don't feel quite so hot in my tuxedo! I have my OJS school uniform too, but will save that for the end of January when I visit Guardian Angels School with Grace and Anna when their summer holidays end.
I'm so excited to be here.....my hosts have lots of exciting things planned for me over the next few weeks which I'm going to enjoy before I go to school.
Happy Christmas!
From Oscar and The Robinson Family
(PS Leave me a comment if you can tell me what NSW, QLD, OJS and BBQ all mean!)
Come on you lazy lot! When do you go back to school? Not until 4 September???
I know a lot of you will be starting a new school, and I have too! I said I thought I might stay in Australia for a while and I have - I've started at Glendore Public School. (It's winter here, so they are already at school - they don't get their summer holidays until Christmas!)
They are going to tell me all about what it's like to be in school in Australia and I promise to share it with you on the blog. I've already met Glenn, the school mascot...
...and he's shown me around. They've even given me a page on their website!
On Wednesday, I'm going to Canberra, which is the capital of Australia - so I'll let you know what it's like.
In the meantime, two of my rellies are coming to Oakwood to make sure you keep your classrooms tidy - watch out for them!
Strewth! I made it all the way to the other side of the world!
Here I am in Sydney, Australia and you can see three famous things in the photo. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and me!!+014.jpg)
I've had a good look around some other cities - Melbourne and Brisbane - and I met some rellies* too...+002.jpg)
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One of them sleeps for 18 hours a day, which sounds like a good idea. I think I might try it!
Do you know, I like it so much here, I might stay for a bit! Do you think you could get along at Oakwood without me for a while? Promise to keep things tidy? I might have to send some friends to check up on you...
*Australian slang for "relatives"...
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