Jonas will be attending the French school here in VT. It is a better deal than the international school, costwise, and after working as a sub. recently at the international school, I'm not too thrilled with the 3-year-old class there. It seems a bit hazardous (physically --- the classroom itself seems unsafe) and unchallenging (mentally).
So Nick and I entered yet another culture by going to the French school to see about registering J. for school. We heard there was a waiting list. It is the most subsidized French school in the world. Immediately upon our arrival in the office, the Lao secretary started babbling to us in French. We asked her to speak Lao, which thankfully we are really starting to be competent in lately. Then people kept popping in and out of the office and saying "bonjour" to us. I felt like such an impostor. I probably did look nice and French because I was wearing a skirt and dress shoes instead of sneakers or hiking sandals. And I have kind of an angular nose, which it seems that French people have. But I hope I don't look mousey.
Anyway Jonas will probably begin attending pre-school, possibly next month. There is a 3 day per week plan of MWF, 8-12. We want him to get a good start on his French language so that when he actually starts kindergarten he won't be behind.
When I was subbing at the international school I worked with the 4-year-old class for 2 weeks. One of the kids was Thai, and was obviously intelligent but was kind of ignored by the other students because he didn't know alot of English. He also didn't understand what we were asking him to do sometimes. But he could tell time, which I think is advanced for a 4-year-old. I mean, I'm talking an analog clock, not digital.
Today we got to actually tour the pre-school. It is for kids aged 1-3. I was pleased that the school director/head teacher suggested that whenever we start bringing Jonas, we should plan to stay with him an hour on the first day, and then decrease it to 30 minutes, etc. on subsequent days. I wanted to do that anyway but was embarassed to ask. Another thing I think is sweet is that the parents are asked to send a piece of fruit every day. Then for snack time the children have fruit salad made of all of the fruits. After they eat some fruit they can have some cookies too.
We will probably start Jonas going to school in the middle of November, after the Tat Luang holiday, when the school will be closed anyway. I am feeling sad and nostaligic already. Even though he will miss like 3 months of school because we have to go to Thailand in February for a conference, and then in March and April I will be in the states for my brother's wedding. Still...my baby will be in school! :(
I think I will miss his smiling face and spontaneous hugs. 
This picture is from Sunday, when I dressed him in the Panjabi outfit we bought in Malaysia last year.
I think it will behoove us all to be on a daily schedule, though. MWF mornings we will have pre-school, and then Tuesday mornings are our playgroup. We will be pretty solid in the mornings. Structure isn't my strong suit.
Monday, Oct. 16, 2006 at 1:41 PM
