I've written a lot about school so far: three times, it seems. This episode is very special in its own right as it is the first time we have participated in an official "first day of school". Very exciting for all of us! This one is also very important as Daddy is traveling so we will try to share the day with him as best we can with our pictures.
For Vivienne, the day was full of the familiar: as a preschooler, she returned to the same room and building with the same teacher and many familiar friends. For Conrad, it was a move upward, to the "big school" as his new classroom is now in the main building! A year ago, when we started our homeschooling project, Conrad was sad about not actually going to school so Miss Rebecca had helped us put together a Schultüte to make his "first day" more special. Typically, though, the Schultüte is only for first graders. Last June the school had a special meeting to share information with the parents of the incoming first graders and to give us materials to put together a Schultüte for their first day in August. I presented it to Conrad at breakfast and he brought it to school for the opening ceremony on Tuesday.
This first day was more of an "Opening Day", mostly a "Meet your teacher" day with an opportunity for the kids to see their classrooms and where they will sit, and informational meetings for the parents regarding yearly schedule and available after-school activities. We arrived early and took our seats. The younger students had reserved seating, with a special place dedicated to the First Graders.
They arrived home tired and ready for a first-day-of-school icy cold treat. (Aunt Vickie, you might also notice the bunny-ear ice pop molds! You are with us every day!)
Before I even had a chance to ask, Vivienne informed me "Conrad says his school is boring! It only has tables and chairs!" Welcome to the big leagues, kid! He seems to be mourning the passing of Kindergarten harder than I expected him to but it's still early. We're working out the schedule, hoping to get him involved in after-school soccer and chess activities. He seems to have made some more friends, as the first graders are in the same room as the second graders, so I think he is starting to warm up to the idea of full-time "real" school.
We've got the first week under our belts and are feeling better about having a routine, finally. And with them in school now, I can finally focus on finishing the house and then focus on my own education with Thai and German lessons. It is certainly never dull in our world!
Thanks for joining us as we embark on this next layer of our adventure. Our love to you all~
For Vivienne, the day was full of the familiar: as a preschooler, she returned to the same room and building with the same teacher and many familiar friends. For Conrad, it was a move upward, to the "big school" as his new classroom is now in the main building! A year ago, when we started our homeschooling project, Conrad was sad about not actually going to school so Miss Rebecca had helped us put together a Schultüte to make his "first day" more special. Typically, though, the Schultüte is only for first graders. Last June the school had a special meeting to share information with the parents of the incoming first graders and to give us materials to put together a Schultüte for their first day in August. I presented it to Conrad at breakfast and he brought it to school for the opening ceremony on Tuesday.
Conrad in front of his new classroom, with his Schultüte.
This first day was more of an "Opening Day", mostly a "Meet your teacher" day with an opportunity for the kids to see their classrooms and where they will sit, and informational meetings for the parents regarding yearly schedule and available after-school activities. We arrived early and took our seats. The younger students had reserved seating, with a special place dedicated to the First Graders.
Conrad sits next to his best friend, Andrew
The ceremony started at 10:00 with a short service by one of the local pastors and then Principal Liebold spoke.
Conrad in the crowd
The first graders were called up on stage, carrying their Schultüten, and were introduced to everyone by their teacher, Herr Tetzel. It's a bigger class then they expected: 11 kids!
I am so proud of him; he looked so grown up. It was a nice ceremony, a nice way, I think, for the students to start the year. But I have to say that these are the moments when I find myself feeling...apart. The Biggies, the milestones; the times that you would usually celebrate with those around you. Yet family and all of the familiar feel very far away. It was a bit difficult for me because it was all in German, naturally, and I understand about one word in 5; just enough to have no idea what is going on. Which unfortunately translates into an overall feeling of isolation from the school. I always imagined myself as a "Room Mom", someone intimately involved in the social and academic aspects of my children's education. I'm hoping I can remedy that issue, and am working towards that aim but it certainly brought a level of bitter-sweetness to the day, for me.
The following day, Wednesday, was the first full day of classes. The morning sun is very bright in Thailand! Off they went in their new school outfits (Thank you again, Aunt Vickie -Love, Vivienne) and I wondered all day long about them and how they were doing.
We've got the first week under our belts and are feeling better about having a routine, finally. And with them in school now, I can finally focus on finishing the house and then focus on my own education with Thai and German lessons. It is certainly never dull in our world!
Thanks for joining us as we embark on this next layer of our adventure. Our love to you all~
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