First Day of School

February 4, 2012

Today was a red letter day…  The kids went to their first day of school here in Italy. Yes, it is Saturday, and yes, they do have school six days a week.  They go from 8:15 to 1:30 M-F and 8:30 – 12:15 on Saturdays. 

It is funny because registering them for school was so easy.  It took us a couple of stops to ask questions, then we visited the school yesterday.  There was an Italian teacher there who went to England and enrolled her children there, so she knew what it was like.  She was so helpful.  She called the Administration for us and told us where to go.  When we got there, they had been expecting us, had the paperwork ready, and that was it.  They told us just to show up at the school at 8:15 then next day!  Everyone was incredibly helpful.   It is funny because we have been trying for the past week to get a parking permit for our car and still haven’t been able to do that, yet our kids are already in school!

 This morning it was up early… we set an alarm for the first time since we left Missoula! We set out at 8:00 a.m. as school begins at 8:15.  Jason said he was really nervous, but Danika said she was only a little nervous.  This surprised me because I think I was more nervous than both of them.  It was a beautiful ten minute walk to the school.  First we go through some arches in our residential area.

The road is the same one we live on, Via San Giacomo, so David had to take a picture.

 Then we go along the edge of big draw and you can see the school across the expanse with the trees from the draw below.

Here are the kids at the front gate of the school.

This arch opens up into their play area.  Notice the short wall in the background.  There is a 50 foot drop on the other side onto stone steps… I just can’t imagine that would be allowed at a public school in the States.  You can see part of the other side of the wall in the picture that we took of the school across the draw.

When we got to school, we were met by two teachers, Milva and Anna Maria, who didn’t speak English, but they really tried.  They were so incredibly nice to us!  Jason’s teacher, Milva, was just amazing.  You could tell she loved kids and took to Jason right away.  She said there was a boy in her class named Christopher that spoke English because one of his parent’s was English.  I could see Jason instantly relax.  Danika seemed to be full of confidence.  I got a bit teary-eyed, and felt like I was dropping off the kids at kindergarten all over again… so silly, but what can I say?

It was actually nice for David and I to have some alone time.  It was our first time to be in the apartment without the kids.   We ran (or rather walked) some errands and then it was time to pick the kids up.  I was really hoping they had liked their time at school.  I was pleasantly surprised when the first thing they both said was, “Can we go back to school on Monday?”  Whew!!!  I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  I also felt that this was the reason we were supposed to be here.  I really think that school is what is really going to immerse the kids in Italian culture.  Just look at those happy faces after their first day of school…

By the way, that is the same wall where there is the 50 foot drop on the other side... 

I’m sure every day won’t be as great as today, but I am feeling pretty darn happy right now…

~Mary