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Original poster

Back to school!

36 replies

belgo · 01/09/2010 07:45

Who else is suddenly sat in a very quiet house?

At least it's only half day today, I have to pick them up at midday.

OP posts:
kreecherlivesupstairs · 01/09/2010 07:54

I had a longer drive to take DD to school this morning. We played spot the children going back to school. The sweetest was a boy of about 12 standing at the bus stop in what were obviously brand spanking sparkling white new trainers who was trying to get his newly cut hair to do that walnut whippy style to the side. It was too short.

Original poster
belgo · 01/09/2010 07:56

Grin those trainers won't stay white for long!

OP posts:
Original poster
belgo · 01/09/2010 08:00

It's dd1's first day at the lagere school, she was excited but I'm so nervous for her!

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kreecherlivesupstairs · 01/09/2010 08:18

Mine is at International school so she's been back for about two weeks now. She has two birthday parties this weekend. One we received the invitation for by email this morning for Saturday. Is it normal to have such little notice?

Original poster
belgo · 01/09/2010 08:25

Good point, I have to get the invites out fast for dd2's birthday in two weeks time!

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WomanAtTheWell · 01/09/2010 08:49

Back to school here today too. They all looked sweet with white flowers in their hair and thankfully someone else more organised gave DD a flower to give to her teacher. It's so complicated trying to work out what local traditions are when everyone else just knows!

kreecherlivesupstairs · 01/09/2010 09:16

Agreed woman, we've moved around quite a lot so I am pretty well versed in school etiquette for Thailand and Switzerland, Belgium continues to flummox me.

WomanAtTheWell · 01/09/2010 10:44

It's the way everyone seems surprised that I don't know (again and again!). There seems to be some way of passing information by osmosis too but it never quite reaches me...

kreecherlivesupstairs · 01/09/2010 11:35

I think I've probably got on the tits of everyone I've met at DD's school by asking how things work. Some people forget what it is like to be new. I wouldn't roll my eyes if someone asked me about the binbags. Not strictly speaking a school thing, but it could have serious implications in my life.

Original poster
belgo · 01/09/2010 12:20

oh yes if you get the Belgium bin bag system wrong it's such a hassle!

Womanatthewell - where are you?

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WomanAtTheWell · 01/09/2010 12:36

Hi belgo I'm in Moldova. In a little village where there pretty much everyone has grown up and gone through the system themselves, so I'm definitely an oddity and if it's possible to get something wrong I've probably done it!

Original poster
belgo · 01/09/2010 12:38

Wow, what an experience living in Moldova! Far more interesting then Belgium!

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WomanAtTheWell · 01/09/2010 13:00

Interesting is one way of describing it! I do like it but it can be really tough, although I guess that applies to most places that aren't 'home'. Also have to confess I don't actually have an empty house as I still have two DCs at home - it just seems quiet without DD1 and all her friends here Smile

SatinandTat · 01/09/2010 15:04

You all live in such exciting sounding places. I long for a move. It is back to school here in the midwest of America today too! My eldest daughter insisted on wearing a pair of mid calf lace up grey boots with her school uniform. We live in a very, very preppy area where a little pair of ballet flats is about as exciting as it gets. On the one hand I applaud her individuality on the other as I drove away I cringed at how different she looked. It is so quiet here so I have had a couple of pieces of shortbread and am going to listen to BBC radio to cheer myself up! Hope your DC all had a wonderful day at school.

natation · 01/09/2010 16:10

Hi where are you Belgo?
We are in Brussels, first day too for the younger ones, secondaries are staggered here another tomorrow and the last one on Monday is going back.

I forgot all about the book covering ritual, forms to complete ritual (by tomorrow morning!), even though it has only been 2 months since the kids were last in school.

But I love the school ritual, not that I don´t like the children being on holiday, just that it´s very quiet in Brussels over the longer Summer break, the other holidays I really look forward too, but the Summer holidays I look forward to the end of them.

Belgian bin bags, well we are still learning, plastics are very hard to know as not all plastics are recyclable and the refuse Police fine you if you get it wrong!

Anyway, bonne rentrée, sorry don´know how to say that in Nederlands.

WomanAtTheWell · 01/09/2010 16:27

I'm quite intrigued by the bin bags now! Not least because there's no refuse collection at all here so it sounds very exotic to me

abeautifulbutterfly · 01/09/2010 18:20

Hi,

We are in Poland and my DD1 (nearly 7) had her First Day At School today. Grin I was definitely more emotional than she was, though she did come for extra cuddles and gripped my hand at a couple of points.
But on the whole fairly painless - we live in a village, so half the class was with her in preschool.
First Day Back consists of:

  1. Mass (I am an atheist but DD is definitely a run-with-the-herd type and when I asked her if she wanted to go to church it was a resounding Yes so had to support her right to choose Grin) 2)Assembly. Complete with national flag, school flag, school hymn and complete apathy on the part of all concerned. Lasted approx. 3 mins Grin
  2. Rush to class to get best seats (traditional desks in rows; pushy mums pushing kids to front row)
  3. Lots of slips of paper, each requiring payment for something. Have totted up that to date have spent over 100 quid on back to school stuff (excluding clothes and shoes). Free school system but you have to buy your own textbooks, all materials, pay for school dinners, compulsory swimming, etc etc etc.
  4. Home.

But all in all I'm glad I'm here. Just read a thread about UK mums sending their 4-yr-old lambs to the slaughter kids to school and nearly broke my heart. DD2 is a solid 5 and I am considered almost psychopathic wanting to send her to school a year early next year.

Love from Poland Smile

strandedatsea · 01/09/2010 18:27

Yup - another here. Although it was only two-hour orientation.

Dd1 (nearly 5) in the "big school" for the first time, dd2 (2) just gone up to pre-primary from toddlers.

I expected tears but it wasn't as bad as I feared. Having shoe-horned them into their uniforms this morning, blue and white pinafore dresses over white shirts, trainers and socks, "modesty" shorts under their dresses despite the ridiculous heat (up to 35 degrees and up to 80% humidity at the moment), I drove them in, anticipating crying and screaming.

As it was, dd1 had a few tears but put on her brave face and went in with her new teacher. She knows most of the other children in her class as they have moved up with her - unfortunately most of her close friends haven't moved up yet or have gone to another school.

Dd2 went in ok but then I could hear her screaming once I backed off. She apparenly threw herself on the floor and stayed there for a while but once she realised I wasn't coming to get her, got up, got on with it and apparently had a good time.

Day two will be trickier - they know what's coming!

We're in St Lucia by the way. You can tell my dd's - they are the blond heads in a field of black!

strandedatsea · 01/09/2010 18:30

Kreecher - during the summer I got an birthday invite for a party that afternoon. It's all very last minute here!

Belgo - snap, dd1 will be 5 in two weeks and I am inviting her whole class. Help!

Portofino · 01/09/2010 21:51

We survived the start of Premiere Primaire in Belgium. DD was more excited about seeing her friends. I got told off for daring to take the 2 huge bags of stuff inside to the classroom. (DD is 6 and could no way carry it all!)

The new teacher looked about 12 yet gave me a look that chilled me Grin, and told me I should be outside....

I have filled in the forms/ dh has done the necessary book covering, least I hope he finished as he is now asleep in front of Crimewatch.....

DD told me her teacher is the nicest in the world and that she has got the seat next to her boyfriend. Hmm Good luck everyone! Belgo, sorry I meant to email you about doing stuff this week, and it all got manic! Blush

fififlores · 01/09/2010 22:58

My DS turns 4 in a couple of weeks, and I am copping out by only inviting my (English and American) friends' kids to party, as mixing never works, in my experience (locals and expats). Mums always give these massive sweet bags to all kids in class on birthday, but I want to avoid that, need little boxes of raisins and healthy stuff!

Original poster
belgo · 02/09/2010 07:04

Hi Portofino, that's fine, I ended up babysitting a sick niece this week anyway, so it was probably best not to have any visitors!

What did your dd need for school? My girls needed nothing, they will receive it all from school. Most children in the school won't be able to afford books etc (we are in one of the poorer parts of town - not that you would know it)so that's why they don't even ask us to buy anything.

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Original poster
belgo · 02/09/2010 07:06

fiflores - you're right - those sweet bgs are usually full of inedible sweets and they are banned at my girls' school. And mixing the party doesn't usually work either, like you say. I am just going to invite two of dd2's friends for her party.

Natation: LeuvenSmile

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kreecherlivesupstairs · 02/09/2010 08:50

DD trotted off happilly once I got her out of bed. I, on the other hand am not a happy camper. Our car is broken so I took it to the garage. The drive is about 15 minutes from DD's school, but an hour and three quarters on the bus to come home. I've got to do it all in reverse again later on[fed up emoticon]. It would all be so much simpler if there was a train station close to the garage, but, my life being full of sods law there isn't. At least Mr Gorgeous mechanic and I have worked out a way to avoid taxWink

natation · 02/09/2010 16:23

Belgo,

one of our favourite spots is Kessel-Lo, bet you go there lots. I really wish they had an open air pool and park like that in Brussels.

So waves to Belgo and other Belgian mums from Brussels