18 responses so far ↓

• Markk // Jul 20, 2007 at 8:03 pm

  Nice kitchen percussion at the end there.

  I have heard about that principal firing from other sources, but I am yet to find anyone who agrees with the decision or has any good reasons for it. It’s rather bizarre. I can’t imagine the office there would be a pleasant workplace right now.

• Markk // Jul 20, 2007 at 8:44 pm

  This kind of thing makes me glad I don’t have kids. Life is so much simpler! Less worries when things go pear-shaped.

• Jonathan // Jul 20, 2007 at 10:40 pm

  It sounds like they ought to do an about face on their decision to fire the principal. Obviously, the principal had earned some considerable loyalty if teachers are walking out. I don’t know what it’s like in Australia, but if a teacher walks out on a contract they are going to have a really hard time finding another school to hire them.

  As far as strategies go…first step is to trust in God, then I usually realize that He provided me witha stable wife. If we are having a tough time keeping an even keel, the other will usually do something with the kids, while the other decompresses. For instance, my wife came home early last night, stressed to the point of feeling ill, so I grabbed the kids and we ran some errands then strolled the mall for a while. When I got home, she was feeling better.

  BTW, Thanks for the postcard.

• Pete // Jul 21, 2007 at 12:12 am

  Jonathan, sage words and insights. Thanks! God’s indeed a never-ending source of stability and balance in my life and just when I start getting really angry and intend heading into the attacking persons territory, he gives me pause and reminds me it’s about behaviour not personalities.

  We literally just came home from a parents-newprincipal-schoolcouncil meeting where there was lots of “Please explains” going on. It ain’t over yet. But even getting this off my chest in the video helped to give my best to my kids when they got home and before we went out.

  @ Markk: ahhhh, but you miss all the joys too. One day you’ll have both!

• Pete // Jul 23, 2007 at 9:02 am

  Just had a great weekend with the lads. Thanks for your thoughts, prayers and animal sacrifices…

  Some tennis, some looking at old photo albums, some time playing Yu Ghi O (or however the hell you spell that). A lot more cohesive.

• themolk // Jul 23, 2007 at 9:31 am

  I am _SO_ annoyed with you right now. You do ONE vLog, and it absolutely kicks all over the 7 I’ve done to date combined. AND you even had a decent reason for doing one. AND you had a cool postcard to theme in with the start. AND you had some cool music. AND your credits were good. AND you had some cool “outtakes” after the credits.

  Dammit. Just way too good. I love the ‘postcard’ concept… keep it up. It has given me hope on other things to vLog about as I find the time and as I don’t have to vLog about my weight loss.

  BTW - thank’s for the mention. Next time…

  In the spirit of Peter cross-promoting his stuff elsewhere, if you like his stuff, you’ll think mine is inadequate, so check it out at either http://themolks.com or http://www.youtube.com/stevemolk.

  That is all.

• themolk // Jul 23, 2007 at 9:34 am

  AAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!! My comment didn’t post?! Pete - did it make it to your comment bank, or do I need to re-post my rant?!

  Bottom line - sounds like the school situation sucks at the moment; sounds like this postcard thing helped a little in you processing it; prayers guaranteed from this end (goes without saying now); and I am _SO_ jealous that your first vLog is better than all my efforts so far combined. Spluuuuurrrrrrt.

• themolk // Jul 23, 2007 at 9:34 am

  Forget me - it’s now showing awaiting moderation. Whatever.

  All posts count.

• Pete // Jul 23, 2007 at 1:44 pm

  I reckon you’re just trying to get your name 4 times in a row on the recent comments sidebar. Shameless cross-promoter you!

  Happy to direct people to your Biggest Loser-er vLog. It’s interesting and inspiring to see you completly rewrite your lifestyle for a worthy goal as a human being and as a father. People, if you haven’t already sampled of the goodness that is all things MOLK, click on those links 3 comments above!

  (And keep the compliments coming Steve)

• Jonathan // Jul 23, 2007 at 11:03 pm

  And so begins the vlog competitions…I sense that it won’t be long before Steve and Pete are seeking endorsements to increase production budgets and seeking out Peter Jackson’s WETA guys for special effects.

• Pete // Jul 24, 2007 at 12:39 am

  Mm. I’m more of an Industrial Light & Magic guy myself. Steve’s welcome to work with WETA.

• themolk // Jul 24, 2007 at 2:49 pm

  You’re on… I had a friend who worked on LOTR2 & 3 working for WETAdigital, so I’ve got the contacts.

  Be ready for the next vLog, and “look to the skies”…

• SaRz // Jul 27, 2007 at 11:03 pm

  Hey nice vlog!

  Bit of a shock when I heard the principal had been fired, and all those teachers had left (my sisters and brother go to the same school by the way). Would have never seen that coming - totally agree with your thoughts on the principal there. Good to hear someone’s perspective on it all.

  Can imagine it’d be pretty stessful at the moment. Hope that things are beginning to settle down a little for everyone linked in some way. Prayers

• Pete // Jul 28, 2007 at 11:15 am

  Thanks Sarz. It’s getting worse before it’ll get better, but the good wife and I are aware of our friends’ prayers and are committed to standing up for the welfare of children and for honest governance.

  Looking forward to your 8 Things post!

• Leisa // Jul 30, 2007 at 9:14 pm

  Hi. I’m Sarz Mum. The sudden exit of Mr T has really shaken me, to tell you the truth. I don’t know what to do and what to think - especially seeing that I don’t feel as though the parent’s questions aren’t being answered clearly enough!
  I’m feeling a bit stuck, because on one hand I want to pull my kids out and send them elsewhere, but with their varying special needs I don’t want to send them to a place where a whole school community has to “get used to them”. (for want of a better term!)
  To be honest with you, the 7 years of being at “this type” of school has been….how shall I put this…..”challenging” & has shattered a lot of my confidence in the private system.
  Anyway, that’s enough of my rant…but I do agree with you when you said “what about the children?” I do feel they have been somehow forgotten in this whole shebang.

• Pete // Jul 30, 2007 at 10:15 pm

  Leisa, the human cost of this sham-ozel is continuing to astound me. I’ve talked with a mum whose boy had been constantly truanting, his way of coping with coping with childhood trauma, until 2 certain teachers at the school got involved - they helped him stabilise and begin to engage with “school” and learning again. Now both those teachers have had to resign (and she doesn’t blame them because of the atmosphere and intimidation going on) … but her son is off the rails again.

  Another mum tells us about a similar story with her daughter, who is a lovely girl but has a learning disability and now that her teacher (who was getting great results for her and with her) has also gone, the girl is back to being labelled “naughty” and freaking out under the pressure, instead of calmly applying the strategies the teacher had been teaching her.

  At what cost these men’s pride?

  I’m sorry to hear your pain too.

• Chris // Jul 31, 2007 at 1:52 pm

  Well done Pete for having your say. It’s a very Aussie thing to do! Fight for the underdog!
  However I am perhaps MORE impressed that you’ve done a vlog.
  But now you’re leaving me behind. That can’ t happen!

• Mad Cow // Aug 1, 2007 at 1:02 pm

  i’m way late coming in here, but Pete, thanks for your postcard.

  Hope you don’t mind, but I’ve posted it on my forums - eek, hope that’s ok! Thought there was some really profound stuff in there for us all to think about - thank you.

  Oh, and gotta love how you managed to slip that Simpson’s reference in there (pahahahahaha)!

  Amazing how the simple minds of adults and their politics can have such profound impacts on the lives of kids ….. and families.

  It just plain sucks.

  Anyhoo, my thoughts are with you all and hope you it all sorts itself soon!

  Hugs (or was that a bit girly for this blog - hehehe)

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