Jale at school

It is 12 weeks now since Jales school enrolment and yesterday was our first date for a talk with Jales teachers at school.
Some of you may remember our doubts in summer if we should really send Jale to school already. We were in doubt especially because all the experts (kindergarten, therapists) advised us not to send her to school but to kind of a pre-school kindergarten for a year.
In the year Julia and me made our decision against all the experts advises and sent Jale to school.

Yesterday we talked to Jales maths teacher, to her class teacher and to an educationalist. They all were surprised of how good, motivated and dilligent Jale is at school. From her cognitive abilities there is nearly no difference between her and other pupils her age. She still has some lacks...many kids that age still have that. And she is getting additional support lessons at school.

But generally, Julia and me have been very proud to have made our decision and did not listen to others. The educationalist even gave in that she also was wrong with her first judgement about Jale in August 2008. YYYYYYYEESSSSSS!!!

Jale at school

Yesterday was Jales big day at school.
Julia went to catch her at school as usual at 11:50h a.m....but Jale did not come out of the school building. What happened? Julia went in towards the classroom when 2 of Jales classmates came along, shouting: "Jale still has to do an additional exercise". The thing was that Jale and 3 of her classmates were joking and playing around even when their teacher wanted to start the lesson.

So, all 4 of them were kept in after school to make a drawing, showing some silent, silent pupil.
Seems as if she really enjoys school.

School Enrolment

Saturday finally was the big day: School Enrolment for Jale! We all have been excited during the last days but JJ seemed to be pretty cool. Before the celebration at school we attended church and I was surprised to see that the church was nearly full. I did not expect as many young families still believing.

After that there was a 30 minutes celebration and welcoming in the gym of the school. Grades 2, 3 and 4 performed different dances and lyrics on stage to welcome the new pupils.
Then it got serious: The new pupils were called by name and had to go to the middle of the hall to get together with their teacher and classmates. And this time Jale was first. Grade 1A and a family name beginning with B...one day she will hate it! But this time she was pretty cool and very proud.
So was I!! They left the gym then for their first lesson and after that lesson we went to a restaurant where they did not charge anything for the food and drink of Jale. That was nice.

Even more nice to me was the fact that JJ did everything well so far at school. Seems as if this 2 days already made her do a big step. She is developing pretty fast, seems to act somehow responsible already. She wants it and she must have been pretty bored at Kindergarten during the last year.

And for me it is as if a rock has fallen off of my chest.

School or not to School??

...that is the question we were asked a several times during the last weeks. We had to make a decision whether Jale should go to school or to something like Preschool-Kindergarten (I will call it PSK since I have no idea about how the english speaking world is calling this....besides that, I have to keep up with my funny mistakes...righty?)

I can tell you...I cannot remember any decision that was so hard to make for me. All the therapists said "PSK"! The teachers and those who saw Jale for the first time said "SCHOOL". But of course none can take away the responsibility from us as Jales parents. Julia and me though were as one and said loud and clear "WE DON'T KNOW!!!

In the end we made the decision at home...together with Jale! I spoke to Jale and told her about the advantages and disadvantages of PSK and SCHOOL and then it was Julias turn. After all our talkings, Jale made the decision of SCHOOL. Why? Simple...Jale said that the tasks in PSK will be easier of course,but she is so eager to learn more. Besides that, some of her friends from Kindergarten would be with her in her class at school. Those reasons were good enough for us to agree with her decision and not listen to several therapists, so she will go to school from August 22nd on.

Doubts? Some! Is a 6 year old child mature enough to make that decision? Are we mature enough to make that decision? I really don't know, but Jales decision was close to or associations...so it can't be that terribly wrong I hope.

It is so easy. Why didn't we ask Jale first??

Schuleingangsbeobachtung

Schuleingangsbeobachtung...wow, ein tolles, langes, deutsches Wort, dessen Sinn sich mir nicht sofort erschloss. Jedenfalls sollten wir zur Schuleingangsbeobachtung am 24.6. in der Grundschule Stickgras erscheinen.

Wir haben uns also vorsichtig an den Schuleinang rangepirscht...ihn genau beobachtet und sogar Beweisfotos geschossen. Aber nix tat sich...völlig sinnlos! Meine Schuleingangsbeobachtung verlief ohne irgendeinen Befund, Verdacht oder was auch immer.

Unser Kind durften wir dann allerdings in einem Klassenraum bei einer Schnupperstunde abliefern und nun wurde auch mir klar was hier wirklich geplant war. Der Start des Schul Horrors nämlich!! "Schulschnupperstunde" (auch ein tolles, langes, deutsches Wort) stand zwar an der Tür zum Klassenraum, klingt aber offiziell wahrscheinlich zu banal und hätte meine Observations Lust sicher auch schnell gekillt.

Jale hat es gefallen und mir hat das Ende auch gefallen. Jede der Lehrerinnen hat uns noch einmal ihre Meinung zu unserer Tochter kundgetan und dann durften wir gehen.




Beim Rausgehen hab ich den seltsamen Schuleingang aber wieder ganz argwöhnisch und genauestens beobachtet....