Nan's Lucky Duck

No more than two weeks ago an email was forwarded onto the school community advising that Katy Perry was holding a competition to promote her upcoming world tour. She called for schools around Aus to provide her with a video which showcased their unique school. The most creative entry would win the honor of a visit from Katy, along with $10,000 to improve the school's Arts department. As usual, I was too excited and ambitious for my own sanity and rose to the challenge. We decided to write a take-off of Katy Perry's song 'This Is How We Do', as we could draw some stark comparisons between the lifestyle she boasts in her lyrics to our own here on Groote. Katy sings of sipping rosé, donning lipstick and wearing hoop earrings whilst driving around in her Maserati. We've dared her to trade that all in for nutritious coconut milk, salty locks, no shoes and a bench seat in the back of the Troopy; the only way to get around on Groote.

Before watching our version 'This …

When my university course invited me to do a two week teaching placement over on Groote Eylandt, I immediately assumed it was some sort of spelling error in the email. But then, once I determined it was a real place and that it was in fact in Australia, with its own culture and unique education system, I was excited to experience all of it.


Fortunately, my Uni pal, Mel, also applied to embark on this experience and we got sent over together. We were to be living with primary school teacher Casey, her partner Adrian, and their dog named Wilson.

At Darwin airport Mel and I were faced with the harsh truth of us having an inconvenient affection for heavy clothing and traveling with absurd quantities of couscous and body wash. We clawed through our luggage like those angry sweaty people on Border Patrol, plucking out excellent skirts and formidable cardigans in an attempt to get our luggage under the strict 13kg limit. Consequently, leaving us waddling around like sassy blimps wrapped in exc…

Earlier in the year I got in contact with one of my old lecturers from Monash University in Melbourne to propose the idea of inviting forth year student teachers to carry out their teaching rounds here on Groote Eylandt.
In the weeks that followed, I was required to make a list of 'potential risks' associated with living on the island for my proposal to be considered by the head of Student Experiences. As I listed 'crocodile attack' and 'stray dog mauling' in the risk management plan, I laughed as I imagined the reaction of the city slicker responsible for weighing up the probability of such events and detailing some preventative measures.
Months passed, 'necessary' documentation was slung back and forth and just as Adrian and I established some sort of chaotic routine, there were two students scrambling for a spot on our two-seater lounge.
We are now into our second week with the students; hence why I haven't had time to update the blog. Their names …