The kids are back in school!

Woo hoo!!!

I was starting to think that summer would never end. I thought the kids would never go back to school. Hey, don't get me wrong! I LOVE my children. I am a good mother ... at night and on the weekends. But, after long periods of time, I just cannot deal with the kids anymore.

On the first day of school, I came home from dropping the kids off and took a 4 hour nap. By then it was time to pick up the kids again. In September (and June), they have half days 9 am - 1 pm (which is better than nothing.)

The six grades in primary school are separated into 3 cycles: 1st cycle is 1st and 2nd grade; 2nd cycle is 3rd and 4th grade; 3rd cycle is 5th and 6th grade. Teachers stay with their class throughout a 2-year cycle. For example, Maria was in 5th grade last year and 6th grade this year - she has the same teacher both years.

I really like that idea. I think it changes the dynamic in the classroom for the better. The teachers get to know their students and have two years to really work with them. The students get to know the teacher and his/her style. So far, we've been impressed with the teachers at their school and part of the reason is that they take a long-term perspective and work with each student accordingly. Maria's teacher assigned about 10 minutes worth of daily homework over the summer ... and actually collected it on the first day of school. HA!!! (Little Miss Maria completed 4 hours a day during the month of July - which was her choice instead of going to summer school. She turned in a fat portfolio.)

Elena and Bronson moved up a cycle so we didn't know which teachers they would have and we don't meet the teachers and we can't really see the teachers from the gate where we drop them off. Now, it is even harder to see as the school has installed super-strong extra reinforced steel shields over the gates. The kids didn't come running back out so we assumed they were fine.

Teacher's names are not so difficult. Last year, Elena's teacher was José Maria. This year, her teacher is Maria José. Bronson's teacher is José Manuel.

It is much easier this year. Even though we have a LONG way to go with our Spanish, we understand A LOT more this year. Last year during the first parent meeting, Bronson's teacher explained that it is normal for the children to be constipated for the first several weeks of school. We thought, "Dang, what do they eat here?" We were too embarrassed to ask. Now, we know that constipado in Spanish means having a runny, stuffy nose.

In October, the kids begin their full day school ... 9 am-Noon and 3-5 pm ... with a 3 hour comida break from Noon - 3 pm. We prefer the kids to come home for comida because they can eat, do an hour of homework, and rest. Then they don't have so much homework at night. It is a great schedule for the kids, but it is a killer for us because we spend so much time walking them back and forth and back and forth.