oh boy.

What a week or two! Unfortunately my batteries died in my camera and I keep forgetting to get new ones so there will be no photo's to go with this post. I wanted to show off pictures from the big art exhibition at school but I can't and I just want to get this done before it is too outdated. The exhibition was last week and I spent over 25hours of overtime in the week and a half before it getting things ready. Checking and double checking that every child had a piece of work. I had a system where I had printed two sets of labels directly from the school computer data base. One went directly onto the back of the art work as it was framed, if I had any stickers left over from this first set it meant that I had missed framing a piece of work for that child. Then the second sticker went under the art work as it was put up onto the boards if there were stickers left over at this stage it meant that one of the framed pieces was missing. Great system in theory except that in their effort to be helpful (and don't get me wrong- even though I was called a control freak by my boss- I did appreciate their desire to help) the P&C completely stuffed up this system grabbing stickers willy nilly from either set and then they got all muddled up! Then we had systems for tracking who had bought/paid for/ reserved art work. This has been taking up a considerable portion of my time this week, sorting out little glitches and handing out artworks to children. Money is still coming. People this week have been saying 'I bet your glad that's all over." All over!!!! I've decided to put out a note saying pay up by Wednesday or it's too late. (I'll make it a bit politer than tat though)
In all it was a hugely successful event. The word back from the principal is in the eyes of the general parent body I 'now walk on water' and that they really appreciate the amount of work I put in above and beyond that which is expected. On the night a couple of them gave me a big hug and a kiss! Very nice to feel appreciated and even a lot of the kids noticed and made a comment on the amount of work I had to do and thanked me for it. We raised almost $2000 on the night to on the children's art work (about $8000 was raised in all selling donated adult artists work and with the raffles and bar). I gave the parents the opportunity to pre purchase their child's work some opted not to and then were surprised on to discover that it had already been sold. There were lots of comments on how the work was of such a high standard. (There were some lovely pieces that I was proud of but clever cropping mounting and framing under glass works wonders too! ) I bought 4 myself two because I really liked them and two because I wanted to boost the confidence of those kids.
I feel like I have cemented or earned my position at this school as the art specialist and I think it has really helped to raise the profile of the arts in the school which had very much a sports orientated feeling to it when I arrived last year. I thought it was just because I was more involved this year but the boss said that the parents have been talking about it non stop. Fortunately the fundraising ladies who started the preparation saying next year we will.... are now saying in two years time when we do this again.... Its like having a baby you need a bit of time between to forget how painful the experience was!
Reports were due in yesterday and I've not even started them and last night I spent the night in the hospital with Bantam Boy - he is fine. We got there at 10pm and got home again at 3;30am. I am SO tired!!!!