Australia Night

Tabb Elementary has been honored to have Ms. Colleen Bard-Brucker, a VIF, teaching our first graders this year.

 

The Visiting International Faculty Program, the United States’ largest cultural exchange program for teachers and schools, is dedicated to grooming a new generation of students for success in a globally integrated world through international cultural exchange. The VIF serve not only as teachers, but also as cultural ambassadors in the United States.

 

As an ambassador Ms. BB, as her students call her, has taught our students much about her home country, Australia, as well as giving them new insight into ours.  Her students also learned a little about their own heritage.

 

On Tuesday May 15, 2007, TES celebrated Australia Day.  Ms. BB and her friend Terry Whiting introduced us to the unusual culture of their homeland, comparing and contrasting it to life in the US.  The students were most interested in the unique animals, plant life, and of course, school life.

 

As part of the celebration, TES learned traditional Australian games, (Two-Up and Chinese Jump Rope), tasted Australian children's party food (Vegemite, chocolate crackles, and fairy bread), and learned to paint in the style of the Aborigines, a native people of Australia.  One of the highlights of the evening was the entire first grade, decked out in Australian green and gold, singing "Kookaburra".

 

Laugh Kookaburra....

 

 
 
 
 
    
 
    

  

   

 
 
 

   Snow fall on the south-east mountains during winter provides more skiing than there is in Switzerland.

  The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral formation in the world.  It is 1,250 miles long and can be seen from space.

Australia's summer is December through February and winter is June through August.

Australia's animals are distinctive and include many marsupials, ie: Koala, kangaroo, wallaby possum and wombat

 For information