FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

The girls had their first day of school this week.  All three girls were a little nervous and I could understand their fears.  It is hard to start school in a new place.  Adding the uniform component, a new country where people still speak English but, use different words and having no familiar faces, we were feeling a little overwhelmed.  I was so nervous for them, my stomach was in KNOTS.  All day I tried to keep myself busy knowing that come 3:00 pm, I could have 3 really happy people, 3 unhappy people or a combination of the two.  I know that my girls are strong, confident, and willing troopers but at the same time asking them to pick-up and start over was a tall order.

Here they are ready to go....don't they look great in their uniforms.  Such beautiful girls but, I am not biased at all.  :)

Claire was not only starting high school but, she is also participating in a early morning scripture class before school (Seminary).  It meets at 6:30 am and runs until 7:15 am.  This class is something that is offered through our church and she would have started it in 9th grade had we stayed in the states.

Well, the first day went pretty well.  They were still smiling when I picked them up.  There are plenty of things that they liked but, also some things that they did not like.  They were all really happy that they were not the only new kids.  This area is very international due to all of the HUGE companies here.  Therefore many students change from term to term.  In the little girls school (Grace & Jane), there were a total of 10 new students that day.  In Claire's school, there were a total of 12 new students that day.  They were however, the only new Americans.

They were bombarded with all kinds of funny questions.  They watch American television shows here and so their perception of America is really funny.  The girls were asked if they lived by Justin Bieber, if they had ever shopped at a thrift shop (it is in a song and apparently really cool), asked to pronounce many words over and over again (Koala, Kangaroo, Qantas, etc.)  Most Australians speak REALLY fast and shorten everything so to hear a child pronounce all syllables of the words was very funny to the Australian children.  The girls laughed at so many of the things that the Aussie children asked them to do.  I am so glad that they were good sports.

We are going to need to make a few changes to Claire's schedule, many of the classes are not hard enough.  It is material that she studied 2 years ago however, the classes that she is taking are the hardest classes offered at her grade level.  We may need to have her attend some of the classes for a different year, Year 10 or Year 11?  I am going to need to meet with the Principal to chat about it.  I don't want to be the complaining American but, I am going to need to go in sometime next week.  If they can't help me, I will augment her learning at home.  I am sure she will be real excited about that, as will I.  :)

One thing that they do here that is really great in my opinion is the emphasis on physical health.  They really encourage children to be healthy and participate in healthy activities and sports.  Each week the girls have SPORT day in addition to Physical Education/Health.  Claire's is on Thursdays and the little girls is on Fridays.  They wear their sport uniform to school and they participate in SPORT for about half the day.  It is organized sports, soccer, football, volleyball, crickett, etc. depending on the season.  The children are encouraged to tryout for their favorite sport and they are placed on teams.  They are coached and practice about half of the day.  Every once in a while, they meet up for matches with other children from different schools.  It is fantastic and the kids love it.  

Here are the girls in their SPORT uniform...Grace said that she feels like a GYM teacher.  I told her she is the cutest GYM teacher that I know.  I forgot to take a picture of Claire....I am sure she won't mind.

Now Grace is acting like a gym teacher.

Claire and Jane are loving the fact they they spend so much time outside.  They love the active lifestyle that is offered at school.  Grace is getting used to the fact that there is more running, jogging, exercise involved in her day.  She will grow to love it, fingers crossed but, it is not her favorite thing to be sweaty and hot.   One thing that the little girls love is that their campus has wild bunnies that run around it and it is so fun to watch them hop along.  They are not bothered by the children and the children don't bother the bunnies.

I am sure in time, we will work out all of the quirks that can be worked out and learn to live with the ones that cannot be worked out.  They are going to learn how another part of the world handles the education process and I am sure it will enrich their lives.  Cheers mates!