Starting School

Caleb begins kindergarten next year.  This is a huge step for us because he has not been in school at all.  In the states he would have been one of the oldest in a four year old class that started in September, and then in August of next year he would have started kindergarten.  But with the move and everything we have moved primary school up about six months, so he will go from full time at home to full time at school in February.

Yesterday we went to the first of two orientations.  Caleb has known about this day for awhile and so has been "practicing" school which amounts to filling in some workbooks on counting I found for him at a learning store.  He was up and dressed at 6:15 for school which started at 9:15.  Eric, Caleb, Elise and I arrived at the school and were directed by the older students to the green room.  Caleb had his own orientation in a Kindergarten classroom complete with tiny desks and lots of artwork on the walls and older students to show the younger students the ropes.  Caleb and Eric were ahead of Elise and me, and when I walked in the room Caleb was playing busily with some blocks.  I told him goodbye and without looking up without the slightest nod to the significance of this milestone we'd just crossed he said the same.  In Texas whenever I'd drop him off at gym childcare, he would insist on giving me a hug.  Insist I say, "I love you" and "have a good time," in that order. And as I drug my very sore but shrinking :) derriere to boot camp fitness training he'd always sunnily yell, "Have a good time, too!"  But today--not even a glance in my direction.

Eric, Elise and I walked across the street to the years 3-6 campus for our orientation.  One of the differences between architecture here in Sydney--particularly in the coastal areas of Sydney--and Dallas, Texas is the blurring of the line between outdoor and indoor spaces.  I noticed as we walked to the assembly hall that the girls and boys bathrooms were only partially enclosed.  The buildings all had windows, some of which were open--air conditioning in Texas (granted more of a necessity there) has led to hermetically sealed rooms and often few to no windows.  The school has no cafeteria, children have lots of covered areas where they can sit on benches and eat lunch.  The canteen (run by volunteers) reminded me of the snack shack at camp Piney Woods where I went to GA a camp (though I have been assured--repeatedly--that they serve a variety of healthy snacks to the children). Come to think of it, the entire school looked more like summer camp than school with lots of portable buildings, brightly painted murals on their walls, dotting the campus, and playground equipment vividly painted with dots and stripes.  In short, Caleb will love it.

We are told this is a wonderful public school with lots of parental involvement.  Probably more so than in Grapevine--a heavily kid-centric suburb.  I'm speculating that there are several reasons for this difference.  First very few people (10%) go to church here, so the church and school largely don't compete for volunteer hours (or money).  If a mom wants to volunteer and find a community she is more likely to look to the school than a church.  There are few private Christian schools (with the exception of the Catholic schools) and there are not the homeschooling networks like there are in Texas (there are a few sparse homeschooling networks here, but they are not as religiously inclined as they are in Texas), so those parents who on the whole would be more inclined to be involved in schools in general are still in the public school system.  Secondly, there seems to be more local control of schools.  There is not the emphasis on testing as in Texas.  While the state has imposed some standards (20 child max in grades k-2) the state is much smaller than in The States--23 million in Australia, vs. 23 million in Texas alone.  And Australians have a sort of "give it a go" attitude.  In fact that is a saying here, and as the Parent and Citizens president talked you got the idea that if they didn't a volunteer capacity for you that you were welcome to start your own.  Lastly, there are really only two divisions, primary and then high school.  All the children go to the same school for seven years and there is a total of about 550 students.  This is the community school and unless you attend a private school this is where you go.  It is a credit to the school that large numbers of parents who could afford to send their kids to private schools do not.               

That being said, high school (grades 7-12ish?) are a different story.  And it is here I can only record vague observations.  Most children in this area attend private high schools.  And to do this they may take a bus into the city.  There are public high schools and though people in the northern beaches area speak in glowing terms about public primary school, they are not so positive about public high schools. 

Eric and I are really excited about Caleb's school.  Though we don't intend to be here when Caleb starts year three, we were impressed that orchestra starts at that age.  Driving by the school we often see lots of children outside playing games, or doing various class projects.  The principal and vice principal have both worked at this same school for 20 plus years and the teachers seemed to be very positive.  The only criticism of the school that I have heard is that it does not really have a culturally or economically diverse population.  As far as economic diversity goes, I think we are helping to supply that :).  Most children are white middle to upper class Australian kids though there are a few Asians and several people who, like us, are overseas for a few years on business visas. 

At the orientation we were given specific instructions--only two minutes allowed in the kiss and drop areas, have your child practice eating with his lunch box balanced on his knees, be nice to the crossing guard.  The year three students modeled the summer school uniform options stepping forward in various combinations of blue and white shirts and pants for boys, plaid jumpers and skirts for girls, blue wide brimmed hats for all, and a blue backpack that on Caleb will make him look like a little lost Sherpa.  As the kids did their own version of the catwalk to "Under the Sea" I couldn't help but shed a tear.  Caleb will look just like these kids in three months--only smaller.

Comments

[Sarah's in the midst of it]

I'm just now catching up (see comment on recent post). This school sounds great! Caiden would love it!! I still don't know what we're going to do next year; the thought of the TAKS alone make me want to homeschool! If we could easily afford Faith that would be our first choice, but it's SUPER-pricey. I'm just glad it's only November:)

[Leslie]

School does start later here. And it seems to get out at the same time as in the U.S. I think I misstated though--I believe Caleb's school starts at 9:00, but a school nearby does not begin until 9:30.

That being said, they do have on sight before and after school care. Those children are given breakfast and afternoon tea. And so children can begin arriving at 7:00.

[Jennifer K.]

Did I read right that school starts at 9:15?? I think I would literally cut my right arm off if I could not have my child to school until 9:15 instead of 7:50!!

[Lori]

Oh my. Bittersweet.

Good to hear that the school is so good. I'd love to hear, when he starts, about the kinds of things they teach him.

Praying for your transition.

[Blessed Beyond Measure]

The first of many letting go's. Cant say any of them gets much easier.

[Robin]

I am so sorry! I didn't know it was you who was the anonymous caller to my cell until I got home and told Terry. He said, "It was probably Leslie. She called here for you."

Poo!