First, a welcome to our 48th Loyal Reader: Federico Gabriel! Hola! Glad to have you on board! (By the way, I have set a goal for FIFTY Loyal Readers by the time we reach one official one year aliyah-versary, which is either September 7 or 8, depending how you count it. Come on, everyone!)
Random thoughts from the beginning of the school year
1. My Israeli friends are surprised that English-speakers want to give their children English language enrichment.
2. In our three school experiences (gan chova, trom trom, and 1st grade), each one has had a different "lunchbox" rule that they spring on you the first day. Must have lunchbox, must not have lunchbox, must put lunchbox in cart, must keep lunchbox in tik.
3. Ariella needs to bring a towel in her backpack. For al netilat yadayim. Now that is efficient!
4. "Balagon" IS The "yarid" (I think it means "fair") for chugim. To wit: They only give out the sheet with the times/costs/days of the chugim at the fair, thereby depriving the parents and children the opportunity to discuss it in a calm fashion, the night before, and figure out what to sign up for. (As you can imagine, I found myself in a crisis state at the yarid, with an exhausted boy, who has been schlepped to waaaaay too many school-related things lately, crying pitifully and hanging onto my leg. Especially after the booth for the cooking chug did not allow him a third trial cookie. Of course, I called Donny.)
5. By the way, Israelis can't conceive of a world in which the chug list is handed out the day before.
6. Trying to coordinate school/tzaharon/chugim has usurped most of my brainpower lately. Which is why when Donny comes home I am usually curled up in a heap on the floor, muttering nonsensically to myself.
7. Ariella's only complaint from the first day - not enough hard work, and no homework. Israel - watch out!
8. Ariella is now the de facto translator for the new olah in the class.
9. Put up one finger if you want to talk, two for the bathroom, and three if you need a drink.
10. Un-highlight of the first two days - Yaakov clinging to my neck, sobbing hysterically as I attempt to extricate myself and leave gan. Listening to his shrieks all the way to the car. I try to console myself that at least I know he loves me, contrary to what he tells me the rest of the day.
11. "Yaakov [who had a b'seder day, in the end], who made you feel better when you were crying?" "A cookie."
12. Tomorrow is Yaakov's first "full day," including tzaharon. The same tzaharon, which I found out today, that is riddled with problems. The teacher is terrible, the assistant is lovely, but won't continue working with the aforementioned terrible teacher. [The tzaharon staff is different from the morning gan staff. Don't even ask. Sometimes I miss SAR - drop off at 8, pick up at 3:15. Easy.]
13. Amusing moment: Ariella came home telling me about the vowel sounds she learned in school today. The "kamatz" and the "patach" were the same.
14. Today Ariella had homework. She was happy.
15. Ariella's backpack weighs more than she does.
More to come when my brain is un-fried.
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3 comments:
Taxman and I are loyal readers, just not subscribed. He has no blog. I don't put anyone on feedreader because I prefer to refresh obsessively.
They sent out booklets of chugim here ahead of the fair, so it's just a Modiin thing(not an Israeli thing) that they didn't give you a list ahead of time!
the 'where to put aruchat esser' is SO true.
i have a daughter in trom trom (that looks funny in english). they want the parent to take out the sandwich from the tik, go to the appropriate colored basket where you will then find a clothspin, also the same color (in our case orange) which has my daughters name written on a laminated tag attached to it. we were explained the process at the orientation and in addition the next day we got a letter explaining it. (and ive been through gan 18 times (not me personaly, my various kids)) and this one i had not seen yet.) these gannenot take their aruchat esser procedures very seriously.
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