"At last, May holidays, and not a day too soon.  It has been a very busy first term and one that I won't forget for awhile.  Many things happening, some important and others already meaningless.  But I am now enjoying doing nothing. It has rained for about the past week and the first two days of my holiday have been very peaceful".

"To go hand in hand with your Berea teachers, we are experiencing some difficulties with the Government at the moment.  Two weeks ago major cuts in education finances were announced.  Schools are to no longer hire day-relievers for absent teachers, with the teachers filling in during their "free" periods.  Apparently, the PPTA (Post Primary Teachers Association) had fought for day-relief for many years and have only had it in place for a couple years.  The union doesn't want to lose day relief.  The teachers at our school are upset. But our union has never been tested and most teachers don't know what a union is for, so there is confusion in the ranks."

"Interesting to see that Regan, who you discounted in your letter, has since beaten Ford in four primaries.  Some teachers at the school know more about it than I do".

"Each week on Tuseday and Friday I attend the junior assembly.  At the beginning of the year there were 7 or 8 staff present.  In March we were down to 4.  April 3 and at the last assembly just me and another fool marching up onto the stage.  When it gets down to just me I shall reconsider my promise to the principal to show more often".

"Had two student teachers with me this term for three weeks.  Two complete opposites in approach, style and manners.  Each time I see a student teacher it only reinforces my feeling that nothing is taught at training college and experience is the only good teacher".

"All of my classes have turned out just great and are enjoying much success. They work well and just recently I had the 3rd and 6th form classes do a report on a mathematician - under strict guidelines - down to having it typed with footnotes, bibliography etc...  First time I have tried it and according to the students the first time they have ever had to do a formal research project at school.  Seems that most of them actually enjoyed doing the research and the reports are beautiful complete with diagrams, drawings etc....  It is so alien to the students to do something creative that isn't geared toward an exam".

"Our adz-weilding friend now rents a farmhouse where his shop is and as a result he owns six sheep to keep the grass down and also took his mower back. But another friend has given us a push mower and we had it sharpened. But its been rainubg for so long now I haven;t had a chance to try it out yet. It takes about two hours with a power mower to do the yard. There is some disadvantage to having so many trees and plants to work around".

"The president of basketball quit and I have been acting president. We held a couple hasty meetings to get the league going at the last minute."

"And that is that. Hope you enjoy Maine and a have a good garden this summer. Frank, one of my friends is a dentist, so if you come to visit you won;t have to rush home in pain."