A great way to start the day at school.

Say good morning to the chickens scratching around. This one has 'earrings' according to Cyclone and she is a particular favourite. Heaps of schools have chickens now, they ALL should cos they are such funny things to watch.




Giggle at the geese, they always honk loudly every morning - strutting around reminding everybody that they are the in fact the ones in charge...




And collect the ponies and place them around the schoolyard to munch on the grass.
It's the responsibility of the older kids to care for the ponies. At lunchtime they bring them all into school for a drink and back out to the paddocks or the College Oval next door (they quite like the grass being mown for free!).

I thought I liked the animals and the responsibility theme going on at this school, but today I realised there is something else I love even MORE.

There is no school bell, no music played or ear-piercing siren when break/lunch times end. The children do it themselves.
If you get there at the right time (like I do because the first years leave earlier) and sit under the trees you hear them sing everyone in.

It starts with one or two children that notice it's 1.30pm. They call out "time...for everyBODY to come...in...now", then a few more join in "time for everyBODEEE to come in.....now" and it ripples out across the yard and into the paddocks beyond. The older children do a quick scan of the back areas and perimeter all the time singing out to their peers.

Love, love LOVE IT! It's magic.