First day of school

Last wednesday morning we finally visited the kids schools. The twins are attending Maternelle Le Pas du Loup. This is a pre-school and kindergarten all in one, so the ages start at 2 and go till 6. We can see the school from our apartment, but it’s still a bit of a walk through the field, down a back alley and around the front. They were expecting us (2 days before actually but as if we could get our act together for that!). Everyone was very welcoming and the twins did great! We got a tour of the school and their class. We met Maitre Jean-Phillippe, who will be their teacher. In maternelle you don’t say ‘Monsieur’ so and so, but ‘Maitre’. Evi and Nico got to meet all the kids, and were answering questions instead of clamming up like they usually do. The most interesting thing to us I think was the bathroom. It is one giant room with a bunch of little girl toilets, a bunch of little boys urinals and one giant fountain to wash hands. They are not separate, or enclosed. Just all together like men’s locker rooms. Hopefully won’t be any towel snapping going on in there.

I’m sure Evi will thank me for this photo one day. She got stage fright anyhow at that time (I wonder why).  The kids are allowed to go to the bathroom anytime; no need to ask so that’s good because I think I would want privacy even at 5 years old.

Etienne’s school is a few blocks down the street where the sidewalk is skinny and the cars zip by very fast (it’s a little stressful to walk there). It was a little crazier when we met his class, I guess because the kids are older and they all seemed very excited to have a foreigner come to their class. They  giggled at our accent, and commented on Etienne’s long hair. That didn’t seem to scare Etienne much, he thought they were nice and was excited to get started the next day. Here is Etienne in front of his school.

The following day was the first  full day of school for the kids. We had to set an alarm and it was very hard to get up since we’d been sleeping in till 9:30 every morning so 7am seemed early. They had the classic Nutella and baguette petit-dejeuner and off they went. I took the twins and Shamus took Etienne. Evi was skipping down the street obviously not anxious at all. They found their names above their hooks, hung their coats and went into class. They are to print out the date every morning and once that’s done they can go play. So I waved goodbye and went back home. They seemed totally fine.

The school hours are different here.The day starts at 8:30 and goes until 11:30. We then pick them up for a 2 hour lunch break. Back to school they go at 1: 30 until 4:30. Most of the store and commercial hours are much the same where everything closes from 12 until 2 so it’s very quiet in town and not a good time to get any errands done. You’re pretty much forced to stay home to eat and nap which is a very good plan to me.

Shamus said Etienne also transitioned well. The only problem is that I accidentally enrolled him in grade 5, not grade 4. Oops! In my defence, they don’t call them grades here, and it’s split up into different parts so it was confusing trying to figure this out when I was registering the kids from Canada. I was hoping they would notice his birthdate and correct me but I guess not.  I spoke with the teacher at the end of his first day of school, and we talked about it because she overheard him tell someone he was 9 when most of the kids are 10 or 11.  It also explains why one boy was Shamus’s height. Madame Toussard thinks Etienne should be fine, she noticed that he is ‘vif’ (quick to learn). So I think we’re going to leave him there since he’s already made a few buddies, and I think the younger class is very full. Etienne thinks then he can just sleep through the first half of school next year.

There isn’t a school bus service here in Uzes, so the parents just hover around the entranceway waiting for their kids to come out at 11:30 and again at 4:30.

Another thing that we found interesting is seeing all the teachers hanging outside the front doors smoking right where the kids come. Smoking is still acceptable here, it’s like they’ve never heard about cancer.  I’m so used to Canada and I like that part of our country very much.

It’s been a full week that they’ve been in school and I have to say the transition went extremely well and I’m very proud of them.  It’s been enjoyable walking them to school every day. It takes between 10-15 min one way and we do that 4 times a day so Shamus and I are getting our exercise just doing that. Here are a couple of shots of the kids walking down our path to school. Etienne likes to look for lizards hiding in the rocks.