JOB!!!!!!!

I HAVE A JOB!!!! YAY FOR ME!!!!

I tried to think of all kinds of clever ways to announce that, but I decided that it had to just be yelled straight out.

I HAVE A JOB!!!!!!!

After all this time waiting, once it happened, it was quick and easy.

First, some background... back in October, during my rounds, I had stopped by an early learning centre called Noah's Ark (not religious, just a fun name), and met the very kind manager. We had a nice discussion of ECE philosophy and practice, and I left my CV, but she said that I should have a NZ background check before I spent time with the children. As you may recall, it took a very long time to get said background check. When I finally got it, I stopped by again, but the manager wasn't there. So it was still on my list of places to visit, but it hadn't happened yet.

Then this Wednesday, I got a call from the manager, saying, "I'd like you to come in and discuss employment opportunities at Noah's Ark." Of course, I said yes, and we planned a meeting for Thursday morning. I didn't know if it was an interview for a specific job, just a discussion of options, a way to get on the reliever list, etc. I went prepared for an interview, just in case, and it's a good thing I did, because that's exactly what it was! Noah's Ark is owned by a local couple, and the husband was there to interview me, along with the manager. We had a great talk, and I learned a lot of good things about the program (which I will detail later). At the end of the interview, the manager said that she was definitely interested in hiring me, but that she remembered that I wanted to spend time in a centre before I decided to work there. So she invited me to spend the day there on Friday, to see if I liked it, and then take the weekend to think it over. After spending the morning in the Mighty Monkeys preschool room, I was so sure that I wanted the job that I accepted it that afternoon, and it's all settled!! What a wonderful whirlwind week!

So... Noah's Ark (where I have a JOB, you know!) is the newest centre in Whanganui, and has only been open for 9 months. I find this to be almost entirely a positive thing, because it means that things are still being shaped, changed, and improved, and I can be a part of that. Both the manager and the owner said that they are very determined never to be stagnant, and that they are eager to try out new ideas and techniques, provided that they are philosophically sound. The only downside to it being a new centre is that the outdoor environment is still pretty bare compared to many other centres in town. They actually intentionally chose to build it up slowly, because they are making sure that it follows the children's needs. For example, they didn't put in any sidewalks at first, but instead waited until the children had worn paths into the grass, and then put the sidewalks in their natural paths. Which is very cool. And even cooler, they had the children help dig the holes and pour the concrete. Anyway, the outdoor environment is slowly taking shape, and I'm sure that it continue to improve over time.

Another wonderful thing about Noah's Ark is that they are very open minded. They love hiring international teachers, so there are already three non-Kiwi teachers there, plus me. That is particularly encouraging after the other centre seemed like they weren't excited about people with different training/backgrounds.

Something that makes Noah's Ark unique is their community involvement. They are working to be the heart of their neighbourhood, and so they are very interconnected, which I love. They built the centre in a family-friendly residential area, and they are frequently out in the community building relationships and providing a variety of positive experiences for the children. They bake muffins together and bring them to the EMTs at the nearby hospital, they go trout-fishing at the community-sponsored fishing day, they go to the recycling centre, etc. They are also working to help the entire community be very respectful of everyone, starting with the children.

During my time in the Mighty Monkeys room, with children from 2 1/2 to 5 years old, I had fun helping build a huge volcano in the sand pit (box) and then using baking soda and vinegar to make it erupt. I also got to do some painting, read a couple good books, and help a lot of wet, sandy children change into dry clothes after sliding down a makeshift waterslide into the sand pit. It was a great morning, and I am thrilled that I will get to spend lots of days doing similar things!

I will be working at Noah's Ark eight hours a day, four days a week. I would have thought that I'd prefer full time work, but a full day off every week has a wonderful benefit: I can stay on the reliever list for the Kindergarten Association! The only downside to taking this job is that it is not with the Kindergarten Association, because I find it to be such a wonderful organization, and I have felt good about my involvement with it. However, with every Tuesday free, I can still be available for the occasional relief work, which is perfect. That way I can still be involved with the organization, and continue to make connections in the greater ECE community, while delving into deeper work with the children at Noah's Ark. So it all worked out perfectly!

YAY!!!