Small Moose looking down from the Cathedral area to the Old Town |
Renato Hausler, town crier of Lausanne |
I started a new job last week. The three older children have all started Swiss schools- but this would deserve a blog entry of its own. In short, Big Fish lucked out in a high school with a million dollar view and for now taking just french classes until she gets the hang of it.
Big Moose has had a rough start, where he fell from cuddly-cute elementary school into a Victorian middle school (runs from 5th-9th grade though). He is in a special class for new arrivals who speak no french. The first two weeks were a bit like Planet of the Apes meets Lord of the Flies while alpha-wanna-be males flexed their muscles in an attempt to rule the roost but without a common language to help along (or, maybe these types are non-verbal to begin with). I have had to give the teacher a talking to, call the principal and the coordinator of foreign students to throw my weight around. For now it seems the mood has calmed down.
Small Moose is in regular Kindergarten with Swiss students. Due to the less stringent academic requirements of this age group he is fine learning french as he goes along. He would be in 1st grade in the US, but here Kindergarten is two years, plus the age cutoff for students is June 30. He was born in July. Darn it.
Lausanne scene with drinking fountain |
And now the perks: 2 hour lunch breaks during which the children come home. The older two commute on the city bus system, and they enjoy kicking their shoes off and resting for a bit at midday. But should they decide to stay to eat at the cafeteria, it is staffed with a real chef who cooks real meals. Nothing is microwaved, frozen etc. They serve a 3 course meal, with fresh baked croissants and such. On Wednesday there is no school for primary grades all day, and for the older ones the afternoon is off. Glorious siesta time! The academic calendar is a bit different also, there are more frequent breaks such as 2 weeks off in October, and April, another week off in February and so on, and then summer break is 6 weeks instead of 12. This gives ample opportunities for skiing, hiking, yodeling, fondue eating and resting. Many challenges lie ahead not only for the children but for me as I am trying to decipher homework and notes from teachers in french. So far I am amazed at how well they have handled the barrage of new information and experiences coming at them. Proud of my kids I am :)
Restaurant sign |
Hello Mama,
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