Back to School

The kids are back in the German school system this week. T started on Monday. He has been upbeat about school overall despite the usual frustrations from last year. His teacher moved up a grade with his class so he has the same teacher again this year... We have hired a German language tutor to work with him after school (who actually started a few weeks ago) and we are trying a lesson a day with Rosettastone to increase his and our German ability.

M's first day, of first grade, was today. It was a huge deal. Here kindergarten is separate from the public schools so this is seen as the kids first day of school. It started with a special church ceremony in town (the church is integrated more into the government here). All the new first graders sat together.

We got M a special present for her to carry around on her first day, a "schule tute". It is a giant cone filled with school supplies and candy and toys. At first I thought it was too large and was embarrassed for her to carry it around, too ostentatious, but it was right in league with the tutes the other kids had, about 2/3s their body length and in garish colors.

Apparently they lug them around the school all day, with their backpacks, and are not allowed to open them until they get home. After church we walked to the school and her old kindergarten class handed out roses to the kids, giving her something else to carry.

Then we saw T waving from behind the bars to the playground to us as the kids watched the newcomers file into the gym.

In the gym there were some songs and skits from the older kids, including T's class.

Then they called out the new kids names by class and they went up onto the stage with their new class. M did fine throughout all of this and was very excited (she has been for days).

I ducked out at that point but T's teacher cut me off at the door. She spoke to me in very fast German. Eventually I got her to use some English and slow down. Apparently she is upset T doesn't speak more German at this point (which is strange because she has told us she won't teach him German and that we must--hmmm, we're English speakers and she's a German speaker, and her job is as T's teacher, how does this make any sense?). We decided to have a meeting later.