While the kids in the US are getting ready to enjoy a three-month summer vacation away from school, Aussie kids are in the midst of their winter school term. This is because Australia is in the southern hemisphere and when it's hot in the US, it's cold down under.
Australians go to school year-round from late January to mid-December before their seven-week summer break. While this is not much time off compared to the US, the Australian school system makes up for it by having numerous breaks throughout the year.
Students outside the Castle Cove Preparatory (primary) School
The Aussie school year is divided into four ten-week terms. Each term is followed by a minimum of two to three weeks off. All schools shut down entirely then - even the administration offices are closed. These frequent breaks in instruction are called school holidays.
Supporters of year-round education allege students perform better with shorter breaks because they only have a little time to forget what they've learned. They also cite that pupils and teachers are re-energized after a break.
I'm writing this post in 2017, and the calendar below shows the regular school holidays for the current year. It highlights that there is a school holiday break for every season. In addition, schools are also closed for another 13 days each year for public holidays (e.g., Anzac Day, Queen's birthday, Boxing Day, etc.).
ACT stands for the Australian Capital Territory
Because school holidays occur frequently, Sydney parents plan their lives around them. And why not? One of the parents may have to take off work to be home with the children.
Most Aussies have passports and take family vacations abroad during school breaks. My grandson, Jethro, got his first passport when he was approximately three months old. Australian airlines consider these days away from school peak travel times and increase their fares by as much as 25%.
My son-in-law's mother is an English tutor, and I often hear her planning trips around school holidays. I hadn't thought much about them because they really didn't affect me until the autumn break interrupted my daily routine.
On the Tuesday before Easter break, a fellow parishioner and friend at my weekly Bible study told me the study would stop for three weeks during the school holidays so mothers could be home.
Everyone in Australia must adjust their schedules to accompany school days off.
Sign outside of Jethro's school (daycare)
Jethro, attends Castlecrag Montessori School daycare.
I was stunned when my daughter told me that his school would also be closed for three weeks due to the upcoming school holiday.
Montessori Schools in Australia partner with public schools and, therefore, fall under the government school holiday schedule.
We didn't know this when we signed him up. We do now!
Jethro leaving school excited about his first school holiday.
Finding childcare for recurring school holidays can be daunting for working parents, but there are solutions if they are willing to pay.
There are plenty of school holiday programs that offer kids a variety of activities, from sports to crafts to everything in between.
However, the average cost is $50 to $90 per day, depending on the program. When you add that up for two or three weeks, school breaks can exceed $900.00, or an arm and a leg.
Many Aussie adolescents attend pricey private schools. But even those who go the public route will have heavy out-of-pocket expenses, including school fees, computers, transportation, school excursions, sporting trips, and uniforms.
A student from Roseville Public School is carrying a school instrument.
There are no yellow school buses in Sydney, so kids are driven by their parents daily or pay for public transportation, discounted for students in their compulsory school uniforms, which every child in Australia must wear.
These students are from Roseville College (high school), a leading nonselective Anglican day school for girls in Kindergarten to 12th grades.
Uniforms can be purchased new or at exchange stores, where parents buy and sell secondhand school items. School uniforms include backpacks, button-down shirts, trousers and shorts, dresses or skirts, long socks, shoes, ties, and hats. They must also purchase uniforms for sports (gym clothes).
The classic Australian school uniforms, fashioned after those worn by British youth, were introduced in the early 19th and 20th centuries.
Winter student uniform
Over the years, the uniforms are reminiscent of an earlier time. have adapted to be more laid-back and suitable for the Aussie climate.
I love the uniforms and nothing is more stylish than a good hat!
It doesn't matter whether you go to a government school, faith-based or private. Broad-brimmed or legionnaires-style hats are an essential part of the uniform and must be worn outdoors to help decrease exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Student from Chatswood Public School
Kids outside at Castle Cove Preparatory (primary) school
Most schools even enforce a 'no hat, no play, or play undercover' rule as part of their SunSmart policy all year round.
Sydney has a whopping 236 sunny days each year, with 2,592 hours of bright sun. By comparison, Phoenix, AZ, in the US, has 211 sunny days and 3,872 hours when the sun is glistening. Arizonans need to invest in hats!
Now, New Zealand holds the title, and skin cancer for Aussies under 50 is on the decline, which is attributed to the many measures introduced at schools, childcare centers, the workplace, and government agencies to decrease exposure to UV radiation.
There is even a government ban on commercial tanning beds.
In the 1980s, a Slip, Slap, Slop campaign was introduced to Australians and New Zealanders, encouraging them to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat!
The year 12 students (seniors) above are from the Sydney Church of England Grammar School, known as "Shore" because of its location on the North Shore. Their hats are called "boaters."
Putting on a uniform teaches kids to take pride in their appearance and school. And all Sydneysiders know which schools kids attend by their uniforms.
The boys pictured above are wearing their uniforms with distinction!
School shoes are purchased from specific stores and cost between $50.00 and $150.00. Although they are expensive, they are still cheaper than a new pair of Air Jordans.
At a glance, the shoes all look alike, but the styles vary. You can get away with buying a cheaper pair from any store just as long as they are black, closed, lace-up, and do not have a heel.
I can't tell the difference between the shoes worn by the boys and the girls, but something about them brings the entire uniform into order.
Boys waiting on the bus at the Chatswood Bus Interchange.
Dressing uniformly levels the playing field. You won't have to worry about your outfit being associated with a gang or anyone stealing your shoes. Everyone looks alike!
Girls waiting on the bus at the Chatswood Bus Interchange.
It's also hard to bully someone dressed like you. Which one of the students below would you want to pick a fight with?
Parade of schools at Martin Place
School uniforms make the students look disciplined, smarter, and innocent, even if they aren't. "When you look good, you feel good. Confidence with what you're wearing is very important. If you feel good, you will always perform your best without worrying about anything." (Maria Sharapova, the Russian athlete)
Picture of happy students.
The next school holiday will be in July, and we've been thinking about what we will do with Jethro for two long weeks.
Luckily, we're in the southern hemisphere, where the winter temperatures are mild, and the beaches and parks are still inviting for some good old-fashioned school holiday fun!
Summer vacations in December . . .
Year-round school. . .
No hat, no play policy . . .
. . . I am NOT in Kansas.
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I pick up Jethro, my grandson, from school a couple of times a week by bus, which is my preferred means of transportation because it keeps me from having to drive on the wrong (left) side of the road.
After three weeks of torrential rains we finally had a nice day, so when the bus dropped us off at our stop, I decided to sit down on the bench inside the bus shelter, enjoy the sunshine and drink the milkshakes we had purchased from an ice-cream stand just before getting on the bus.
That's when I noticed it: a large colony of bugs that were darting quickly across the concrete wall behind the bench we were about to sit on.
Winged ants at Roseville Chase bus stop
I quickly changed my mind about our sitting and asked Jethro to step aside as I moved in to have a closer look. What I saw to my amazement were ants, lots of them, with wings, and flying!
I quickly reminded myself, I was in Oz.
Flying Monkey from The Wizard of Oz
I read that it is hard to tell a winged ant from a termite (flying monkeys are easy to identify), so I sought out professional help.
I found the AntBlog website and noticed folks were sending in pictures of their ants to be identified so, of course, I did likewise.
After only a day I received a response from Dr. Brian Fisher, Curator and Entomology and Patterson Scholar with Fisher Lab. He confirmed that the ants in my picture are ants of the genus Iridomyrmex.
There are over 79 different member species of ants from this genus found throughout Australia. The species of the ant below (enlarged) is the Iridomyrmex purpureus and goes by the name Meat Ant. It is the most dominant and earned its name because it consumes large animal carcasses, down to the bone, within weeks.
They are very aggressive towards predators and will bite anything that steps on the nest, even you!
I was a bit worried that the bugs would fly over and attack us, but they seemed too engaged in their own activity to be alarmed by our presence.
What is fascinating about these ants is that their wings are associated with the reproduction of the entire colony.
Large queens and small males are born with wings in preparation for a nuptial flight which is triggered by some kind of environmental cue - humidity, balmy temperatures, or even perhaps just because it's a nice day like the one Jethro and I were experiencing. Scientists are not really sure what signals the flight.
Winged males and females from other colonies (to avoid inbreeding) take off from their nests in a synchronized fashion and fly to a common location to mate.
Sort of like they all got the memo.
When the nuptial flight phenomenon occurs, with no formal announcement, the date is observed as "Flying Ant Day."
The event seems to be seasonal and occurs most often in late summer or early fall but, because the ants get their cues from the weather, which is not always consistent, it can happen on more than one day within the same year.
The picture below is of "Flying Ant Day" in Geelong, Victoria, located just southwest of Melbourne, Australia. The event took place in March of 2017 just after a period of heavy autumn rains. The fall season in Australia runs from March 1st through the 31st.
In Sydney, like Geelong, we also experienced a rainy autumn that lasted for three weeks, most of March. Although ants are very buoyant when they need to be, during heavy rains they keep dry by staying in underground chambers.
I stayed at the nest just long enough to shoot the short video below. As you can see, now that the rain has passed, the ants are pretty frisky.
In Dr. Fisher's emailed comments, he said: "the winged ones are newly produced queens that will fly away, mate and try to start new colonies."
This led me to believe that the colony I had found may be young, since there were so many visible queens.
During the nuptial flight the queen leaves and mates with several drones, then drops her wings, finds a new nest location and digs a hole to lay eggs.
Large ant nests along Sydney's country roadsides can contain tens of thousands of workers, winged queens, and males, and the process will start over.
The rest of the queen's life (up to ten years or more) is spent caring for the eggs and fertilizing them with the sperm that was stored during the mating process. The winged male reproductive ants die.
I have a new found respect for ants with wings and their importance when it comes to increasing and extending their colonies.
Now, when I see very large ants crawling around on the ground I think they may be queens who have just lost their wings and are in search of a good location to start a new home and family.
Roseville Chase Bus Stop
Later that day I decided to return to the bus stop to get a better video of the ants, but I was too late, they were gone - every last one!
I may have missed their nuptial flight, if they had one, but at the very least, I learned a thing or two about flying ants, which I have only ever seen in Australia.
Every Monday evening I take an express bus to the central business district (CBD) to take a 7:30 pm salsa class at Latin Motion Dance Academy's city location, the Shark Hotel (Australians call pubs hotels).
The CBD is Sydney's downtown area and is referred to as "the City." The bus ride from my house to the City can take anywhere from 20-25 minutes. Then I walk the remaining 15-20 minutes to the class.
City/Central Business District from George Street
On the way, I pass some very impressive and historic landmarks like the plaza at Martin Place, a pedestrian-only mall where people gather for civic and cultural events.
It's a large outdoor area with a granite courtyard surrounded by beautiful old buildings and new constructions. At one time, a street ran through the area but was paved to create an expansive walk way. There are plenty of places to sit and stand along the corridor, which is heavily used by tourists and Sydneysiders for recreation.
Parade at Martin Place
Martin Place is home to Sydney's big banks, corporations and legal offices and is known as the City's business and financial center. It's a prestigious place to work and was once thought of as the Wall Street of Australia.
The interiors of some of the historic buildings along the plaza were remodeled to incorporate high-end boutique shops, restaurants, bars, hotels, health clubs, etc. Technology companies are alsodrawn to this heritage location because of its status and accessibility to public transportation.
The Wynyard bus stop, a major bus interchange, is a block away from Martin Place and the entrance to the Martin Place underground railway station is located on the plaza.
Pictured below is Sydney's original post office and clock tower. It was constructed in the Victorian Italian Renaissance style of architecture like many of the notable buildings at Martin Place.
Post Office #1
Film producers looking for great shooting locations come to the City because of its vibrancy and aesthetic appeal.
The Matrix trilogy was shot at several Sydney CBD locations. The most notable scene from the first movie, described below, was filmed specifically at the Martin Place fountain.
Martin Place Fountain at Martin Place and Pitt Street
In the picture from the scene below, Trinity ask Morpheus if he was listening to her or looking at the lady in the red dress.
The Matrix
The fountain was also a shooting location for the movie, Superman Returns. In the picture below, Superman stops a car that is about to hit a crowd of pedestrians by stopping it, picking it up and setting it back down in front of the fountain.
Superman Returns
Sadly however, not far from the fountain, inside the Lindt Chocolate Cafe, the Sydney Seige occurred on December of 2014. A lone terrorist with a sawed off shotgun took 8 employees and 10 customers hostage. After a 16-hour standoff, the gunman and two of the hostesses were killed.
Lindt Cafe at Martin Place
Plans for a permanent memorial to honor the lives lost, the brave hostages and the emergency servicemen are underway. Hundreds of floral cubes will be inlaid into the pavement to represent the flower bouquets that were left at the site.
Seige memorial design
Just past Martin Place, on the corner of King and George Streets, is the first Apple store that opened in Sydney in June of 2008. The elaborate construction has three levels and sits on 21,900 square feet of prime commercial real estate.
The retail store spreads over 3 levels that are each 445 square meters (4700 square feet) and features 6,180 square feet of glass front panels. The glass design trend has earned the Apple Corporation many architectural awards.
It is the 3rd largest Apple store in the world, trailing behind Dubai and London.
Sydney's Apple store
After passing the Apple store the traffic picks up and I navigate the crowd so that I am not late for class. For the most part, the street traffic is always moving, with the exception of those who stop to hear street performers or buskers (folks who perform on the streets for money).
Pedestrian traffic
Busker on George Street
Other than having the nerve to perform publicly, folks who busk must also have a permit to do so from Sydney's City Council. They are restricted from using animals in their performances and they cannot charge a fee. They can, however, pass the hat and sell CDs or DVDs of any original works.
Busker on Druitt Street
A common area to find buskers is in the front of the elaborate Queen Victoria Building (QVB), which I also pass. It was built in 1898 as a monument to the Queen and takes up an entire city block. The Neo-Romanesque architecture suggests nobility.
QVB on George Street with construction in the background for the new light rail
Closeup of the front of the QVB on George & Druitt
The QVB has four floors of shops, boutiques, restaurants and cafes. It's a fantastic place to stop for morning tea or to find unique gifts, specialty apparel, delicious handcrafted sweets, teas and espressos.
QVB's second level
Zumba Patisserie Cafe inside the QVB
Zumba Patisserie Cafe inside the QVB
When I am early for class I will hang out at the QVB to window-shop and sightsee. The merchandise is expensive but it doesn't cost anything to look.
QVB from the 3rd floor
There are plenty of dominant features inside the building, like the center dome, stained glass windows and 19th century staircase. But for me, I am most impressed with the two majestic mechanical clocks that hang from the ceiling.
The Royal Clock, shown in the picture above, has embedded scenes of English royalty and the Great Australian Clock, below, displays images and scenes from Australian history that include Aborigines.
Both clocks keep the time and chime or animate on the hour.
In the front of the QVB is a statue of Queen Victoria that was originally installed in Ireland in 1908 as a memorial to her as an Irish Queen,rather than the British Sovereign. She is seated in a low chair rather than a high throne.
When Ireland became a republic in 1922, they no longer wanted the statue. Sydney's Lord Mayor heard it was no longer welcome and met with the Irish Ambassador to Australia to request it. Years later the statue was moved to Sydney and today represents a shared history between the two countries.
Queen Victory Statue outside of the QVB
From the QVB there is another 5-10 minute walk to class depending upon the pedestrian traffic, which the city monitors closely using video cameras and some manual counters. The information that is collected helps planners clear up congested areas.
George and Druitt Streets
Across the street from the QVB is the beautiful sandstone Victorian style Town Hall - built between 1858 and 1889. It houses the Sydney City Council Chamber and offices for the Lord Mayor and elected council members.
Inside are civic records, international gifts, portraits, memorabilia and the largest pipe organ in the world.
Town Hall Building on George Street
Attached to Town Hall is St. Andrews Cathedral of the Anglican Diocese, the oldest cathedral in Australia.
The architecture of the church is Gothic Revival and is supposed to resemble mid-nineteenth century England.
When the cathedral bells peal (ring) on Sunday mornings, it's a beautiful sound and echoes throughout the area.
Main entrance on George Street
Across the cathedral courtyard is the cathedral school which opened its doors in 1885. Boys and girls from kindergarten through 12th grade attend. The students are very active with the cathedral choir and participate in Sunday services as well as at special events.
The cathedral has a full schedule with three services on Sunday and throughout the week, healing services, Bible studies and prayer meetings.
I attended the 10 am Sunday service a couple of times. The congregation at that hour was enormous and very diverse. Being old school, I enjoyed the richness of the traditional worship service, but was a bit thrown back by the all boys and men choir.
I hadn't seen that in a while. However, the singing was amazing.
Side of the building off George Street
George Street entrance
There are several entrances into the sanctuary, however, the one I pass while walking to class is humble, given the grandeur of some of the other entrances.
Inside the church the architecture is Perpendicular Gothic with an impressive set of stained glass windows throughout. The space is long and narrow but the high ceilings make it feel quite spacious.
St. Andrews Cathedral
The cathedral's gigantic pipe organ sits on an elevated platform and is played at all services, special events and concerts. Check it out in the picture below! Impressive!
The class is very diverse as is the population of folks I pass every Monday in the City.
The class has an international student population. As a result, I've danced with guys from South America, Italy, India, Iran, China, Japan, Sir Lanka, England, Portugal, Spain, Puerto Rico and of course Australia.
The ages of my fellow dance students range from 18 to . . . who knows.
Diego, Sistah, Farida and David
The entire trip from home to class can take up to 40 minutes, depending on the street and pedestrian traffic.
After class, it's usually dark which is okay because the City is well policed. I reverse the trip and head back to my bus stop. As you can see in the picture below, I pass a LOT of authentic Asian restaurants.
Strip of shops on Pitt Street near Liverpool
The City is much larger than what I've shown here and there are significantly more attractions, but this post is just about what I see on my walk from the bus to the class, and it's a lot!
The Matrix Fountain . . .
Elaborate old and new retail buildings that take up city blocks . . .
