Looking For Alamanda

Today I decided to register my interest at the new school in the Alamanda development, as well as to check that I'm on the CRT list at Seabrook PS (I left my CV with office staff at the end of last year but would feel happier if I had a chance to speak directly to the Principal or the Vice Principal who handles Casual Relief Teachers. In contrast, Werribee PS wrote me into their formal list and gave me paperwork to fill in. No such treatment yet from Seabrook.)

Alamanda is such a new school that it has been difficult to speak directly to its staff. Last year I left a CV at the office of Carranballac Senior College, the defacto office for Alamanda before it has it's buildings completed. I got no reply. Either the Principal never received the cv or ... who knows? That CV was for throwing my hat in for any full time jobs that may be available - I've since found out that typically schools advertise for staff as early as September, so I missed the boat well and truly. This time I was just trying to get on their list of CRTs, if one existed.

When I found the school I began to have my doubts about the existence of such a list, because not even classrooms existed yet. The whole area was surrounded by chain-link fencing and populated by construction vehicles and men with hard hats and fluorescent jackets. I could see a small cluster of buildings in the distance, but most structures were a long way from completion. I didn't see how there could be much teacher planning going on.

I drove to the Alamanda clubhouse near the entrance to the development and had a short chat with a lady who was part of the land sales team. She told me that although school representatives had been at the clubhouse last year to take enrolments, she wasn't sure whether or when they would be back. She went on to confess that the answering machine on the contact number for the new school was completely full of messages, so that no one could leave a message anymore. Also, parents had been irate on occasion because they were having trouble getting in touch with the school. On several occasions, school reps had not bothered to turn up to enrollment/information sessions last year.

"If only they could leave a card with proper contact details!" said the realtor. "But being a school that hasn't opened they aren't allowed to do that, apparently. But that meant that we were always getting an earfull from parents even though we have nothing to do with the school!"

I was just in the midst of agreeing with her that the school buildings were far from ready when a rather severe-looking woman stalked out of the cafe and asked, "Is it about the school?"

I confirmed that it was.

She introduced herself and said that she was the Vice Principal. "Do you have a question about enrollment?"

"Actually," I said, "it's about CRT work this year."

She visibly relaxed, but only just a little. She reminded me a bit of my old Head Mistress, Miss Hanbury, thin as a stick and hard as one too.

She said that Alamanda uses an agency called ANZ UK. "It gives us one less thing for us to do," she admitted, cracking a smile for the first and last time. "But then I'd think most schools would use agencies these days."

In other words, I inferred, why was I approaching the school directly?

"Well, actually, I'm registered with Werribee Primary," I said, "and with Seabrook." I had left my resume for Susan Lee, the principal, having been urged by Seabrook teachers on a grade 3 camp to register directly with the school; but I hadn't heard back. Later that day I was to discover on a visit to Seabrook that they also used ANZ UK (and SOS to a lesser extent), but didn't employ CRTs directly. However, I didn't know this at the time.

The Vice Principal said that she could take my CV and give it to the principal. That way, if I didn't want to register with the ANZ UK and the agency came up empty handed, the school would be able to contact me.

So I'm sort of registered with a school that sort of exists.

And I'll be registering with that agency.