My name is Alice Black. I am thirteen years old, and I come from Mount Elm Sheep Station in South Australia. I have got two sisters—Jenifer is eleven and Lisa is seven. We are all pupils at the School of the Air.
The School of the Air is a school for children who live far from the cities, and who are in a place which does not have a local school. So we have "air" lessons over the radio or on the computer. Our teachers are at Port Augusta, a city which is about 160 kilometers away.
In the morning, we go to our school at 8:45. △ When we get there, we turn on the radio or computer and listen to what we should do. From then until twelve, we just do our usual lessons. In the afternoon, our mum makes us do some homework—well, not homework, but more work around the house.
We send our exercise "books" to our teachers by email on Friday night. They markthemon Monday and Tuesday, and then send them back. We get them on Wednesday.
The Internet and the telephone help us get in touch with our teachers quickly and easily. We talk to our teachers once a week for about ten minutes. They tell us if we are making progress. Next year I will start at a new school in Port Augusta. I will spend the weekdays there and come home at weekends. It will be good to be with teenagers of my age, but I will miss my family. I hope I will be happy there.
