Last Tuesday Jon’s class went on a field trip to O’Connor Bowl, a local 5-pin bowling alley. Wondering how these kids could possibly hit the pins (hey, I can barely find the pins bowling!), Peter and I met the class there and stuck around in the background.

To say the class was excited was an understatement! Michael, in particular, was making all sorts of delighted giggles and wriggling around in his chair. Jon was quieter: slightly apprehensive (as he often is with any new experience), but very game.

The six kids were split up into two lanes to reduce congestion, but it still was tricky maneuvering chairs for each bowler’s turn.

Kathleen has her hands full.

Jon’s lane was consistently slower than the other one, because our “team” insisted on picking their own balls.

It has to be the right one!

The kids used an interesting contraption to help them bowl: a sloping metal guide that they could point in whichever direction they wanted and roll the ball down. Jon actually got so enthusiastic about rolling the ball that several times he pushed the ball right off the guide, making it thud onto the floor and roll crazily down the lane. Luckily the side bumpers were up, so it was rare to get a gutterball.

Ready, aim…

The kids did very well, playing two games before going back to school. Several of the kids got spares, and a fantastic time was had by all!

C’mon! Spare! Spare! Spare!

Jon’s two game scores: 108 and 97.

Hey! Good shot!

(This is the creative writing piece Jon did when Tami visited. He had just been playing his Toy Story computer game, which features a tic-tac-toe-type game where you have to get five characters (either toy soldiers or weebles; in Jon parlance, “guys”) in a row. In case you’re wondering, “grafe” means giraffe. —L)

I love going to play Tick Tac Tow. I am about to play with the snake and the grafe. Jake the snake has to get 5 gise in a row. Kaff the grafe has to get 5 difrint gise in a row. Kaff the grafe has to win Tick Tack Tow. Kaff feels happy when he wins. He says yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Jon

Jon’s teacher Tami has been out of class since before March Break with a severely hurt ankle and nerve damage. Poor Tami.

Jon has been keeping in touch with her a little by email and by phone:

Jon’s first initiated and dialed (with coaching) full-length phone call

But we have been seeing a slowdown in his learnin’. This can’t be helped: although the EA’s are doing a fabulous job of keeping the routine going, the qualities that make a star teacher great are, by definition, gone when she isn’t there.

So it came to pass that she was, well, if not in the neighbourhood; close to being in the neighbourhood on Sunday afternoon and dropped by. Jon was delighted; gobsmacked, but delighted. Tami visited for a while, then jumped in and had Jon read for her, show her his computer and do some creative writing. Three hours went by quickly. It was also educational for Tami to see how physical Jon is here: climbing the stairs, crawling, stepping with me holding his hands, standing at his computer (pushing with his belly when he wants to clap or wave his hands), sitting cross-legged. He portrays himself a little more porcelain-like at school.

Jon was in a sort of stunned delight for the rest of the evening; it was so social and motivating.

What a great opportunity seized!

(On Thursday night Jon’s school presented a spring concert “We are the World”, featuring songs from different countries around the world. Jon’s class joined three other classes in a rousing rendition of Australia’s “Waltzing Matilda”. Very sweet! —L)

I like going to see the spring contseret. everybuddy was at the gym. then everybuddy was singing a song called Walltzing Matilda. I like to see the rest of the spring contseret. everybuddy finshed the song Walltzing Matilda. I am about to sing the song Walltzing Matilda.

Jon

Click on picture for enlargement.
Note the jolly swagman sitting near the coolibah tree (blue billibong in foreground) about to get accosted by the squatter on his thoroughbred and three troopers in straw hats at far right. Not visible in photo: Jumbuck in tuckerbag. Yes, we know all the words by now!