Durch die Strassen auf und nieder, leuchten die Laternen wieder... ***Herbstunterhaltung im Deutschem Eck***

[MmeLindt]

Durch die Strassen auf und nieder
leuchten die Laternen wieder:
rote, gelbe, grüne, blaue,
Lieber Martin, komm und schaue!

Wie die Blumen in dem Garten
blühn Laternen aller Arten:
rote, gelbe, grüne, blaue,
Lieber Martin, komm und schaue!

Und wir gehen lange Strecken
mit Laternen an den Stecken
rote, gelbe, grüne, blaue,
Lieber Martin, komm und schaue!

*

It is that time of the year again. Check your lanterns, get enough batteries, start the Bastelaktion.

and Esprit.
They wear Zara and Esprit IIRC and have handbags and all the rest of it at 12

Oh, yes. The hair. I do want to take my shears to the hair of many of the teenage boys who walk past.

Lol at 'the hair' ! Ds is OK he likes to have his hair short after wearing it below shoulder length until he was 5. Infact he got it cut yesterday, nice classic short back and sides and I keep saying are you sure you want it cut!

oh i'm dreading these teenage years but i'm always thankful i've only got 1 girl - the thought of having 3 girls would drive me to drink even more!

admylin - about the flat - i think i'd go for it as long as you got something written from her that she was getting a professional to do it - it does sound like a perfect flat in the right location!

who is this Kronprinz Ruprecht thats going to scare my children?

this is Ruprecht and ds says he goes around with Nikolaus with a Peitsche and hits the bad dc.

Yep, you might want to tell your dc that story before they meet him!

snort at the nazis trying to replace Father Christmas with Knecht Ruprecht supposedly Wotan!

Ah, I never did have time to get to the bottom of Knecht Ruprecht when he appeared last year.

I am unashamedly here to moan about schools.
Have had it with the state system for dd. Last year she worked really hard to get out of the Volksschule HS into a HS where she's allowed to take Mittlere Reife. She started teh year motivated and confident - now she's an exhausted, nervous wreck, with 3 written warnings for various things, and a selection of bad marks in tests, including a 6 in maths, from a test where we prepared a lot. She has really found it hard having a new school, with a difficult journey, and she is scared of her teacher, who, she says, smiles all the time, so that you don't knwo what she is thinking.
I've just learned, that if dd gets one 5 in her mid year report, she's back in teh HS. Every time I try to build her up (extra coaching, lifts to school, buying her sushi), she comes back with another tale of being told off, or given a Mitteilung, because she forgot a piece of homework, or was late with a Hefteintrag or some similar thing. She is so demotivated, it's just a vicious circle now.
The alternative system (treehuggers & w a l d o...) is beginning to look attractive now. I feel that if dd is just left alone, as I was, she will get straight As at MR, as I did!!

I know I am being a horrible wet blanket thread killer, btw, but its very late, and have just had a hideous week of late nights, children who cant sleep & school problems. The harder we work, the less progress we seem to make. And I have finished both the tiramisus that were in teh fridge.
Am totally fed up but do not have courage to leave my (well-paid) job and return to poverty blighty.

nighby - no wonder you´re fed up. I just don´t understand why the school system thinks that encouraging fear and demotivating students is ever going to be the way to get the best out of people. I have to say that Bayern seems to be particularly bad in this respect. I must admit after reading the S teiner threads on here I´d be a bit wary, but if you´re left with no choice it might be worth investigating. If she´s so demotivated by the current system (and no wonder) maybe the more relaxed approach would help get her confidence back. Sorry I can´t be more help - my dd is only in the 1. Klasse and we´ve got all this to come.

Oh no nighbynight, that is such a shame after she worked so hard to change schools. Have you been in to speak to the Klassenlehrer? Has she settled otherwise? Made new friends? It would be so hard to have to move again wouldn't it? She should be OK if she makes sure she joins in as much as possible as the oral participation grade can help to up her half year grade and there should be more than one Klassenarbeit to try and even out the 6 in maths.

For example dd had a 4 in a German test but she has a 2 in the oral participation so it's not too bad. LAst thing I shout as my 2 go of to school is 'don't forget to join in, put your hands up'.

Why are they so strict in Bavaria, I thought this HS sounded as if it would give her a chance not send her back to the other HS for a 5 on her half year report.

Sigh, 'scuse the typos, I wouldn't get many 1's or 2's if I went back to school now!

I didnt realise the oral participation thing could count for dd as well. Nobody tells you anything. It was never mentioned last year.

I havent been to see the teacher yet (would have to miss a days work), as we have a parents evening coming up - its on Monday for the ds's school (will need copious amounts of tiramisu to get over that one, Im sure!). I have given my email and phone numbers to the teacher, and they know that I work 60 km in the other direction, so can't make Sprechstunden in the middle of the morning, but she has not been in touch.

Am beginning to suspect that dd may have forged my signature on a Zettel about an Elternabend, saying that I can't go.....
She hasn't made any friends yet

Nothnig is decided atm, but we do know 2 families in our town who have just changed to a relatively new "alternative" school. It isnt a formal member of the W movement, though all the teachers are from there. Many people round here end up in St schools, although they dont agree with (or know about??) the stuff. Eg a mixed race family locally, who just got desparate at the state schools.

I will make a decision when I have met dd's teacher, and decided if she is a child-eating ogress as per dd's descriptions, or a reasonable person, and also learned a bit about the other school.
Dd will have to change again anyway, as her current school doesn't do the Abitur (but the alternative one does).

Another thing I picked up, is that things get tougher from the 7th class onwards - there is now zero tolerance for forgotten homework, or missing hefteintrage more than a day after an illness. They expected me to come into the school and pick up hefteintrage when dd was ill recently though. Needless to say, I didn't.
They expect so much from the families, yet are unwilling to communicate by email (the eintrage could have been sent as a Word document, for example, or a scan), or otherwise come into the 21st century.

I dont understand how fear is supposed to motivate people either. It is true that german engineers on average are more thorough than british ones (based on my colleagues), but I dont want my children to be trained to be thorough in such a harsh system.

hmm

I don't know what to think about Steiner tbh. I suppose if need be and I would investigate it but I don't like this talk of the devil speaking out of the tv etc (if that is indeed what they do teach). They are some peculiar elements in it. I knew a man who attended a Steiner school in Ireland. He seemed balanced, did well for himself. I think I would not choose Steiner for my dc however if I were in your shoes, I would at least go and visit and give it some serious thought.

Have you considered the Montessori school at Olympia Park (they have a bus service)? Seems to be a sort of Gesamtschule with German the sole language of instruction but as far as I know, they do not have this testing mania. I know there is now an international (bilingual English-German) Montessori school in Munchen but I think it is just for primary. Not 100% sure though. Have you had a look at those?

Will just have a quick google for you...

Other thing, is there an army school near you? If they have places, you might get in there even as a non-military family. Not sure what it would cost but you could do the British curriculum that way.

Montessori school from Klasse 5
here

International Montessori School (English-German)
Lerchenstr. 14
80995 München
Telefon: 089-35474990
Fax: 089-35466880
E-mail: [email protected]

Can't find a website for them, looks like it is just a Grundschule, you'd have to call and check.

I watched a documentry recently (in German) and alot of the pressure on these dc is unbelievable, even dc breaking down crying because they don't get good enough grades - it's so wrong.

It's as if they don't see any other way - but there is. Nighbynight, tell your dd it's not the end of the world if she can't make the grade, as long as she knows she has tried her best what more can she do?

And there are other ways to get the Mittlere Reife and Abitur. She could do a parallel online/distance course for Mittlere Reife later with no stress about stupid things like forgetting a book or a pencil. The online GCSE option is also still there and Abi at evening classes later too.

I know a 19 year old who went to Hauptschule, very bad Abschluss, managed to get an Ausbildung and now goes to evening classes to get his Abi as he has suddenly decided that he wants to learn. Why not? He might take a few years longer to finish but he's doing it because he wants to.

How was your dd over the weekend?

BY the way, new episode for the flat saga:

I told you about the damp place we thought would be ready my mid January if the owner renovated, well turned out that it's in need of professional work due to damp and mould so it won't be available before March 2010.

We've already handed our notice in at the beginning of November even though we didn't have the official contracts for the new place which has now fallen through anyway. Theoretically we have to move out of here by the end of January. What should we do, risk it abit longer and try to find a new place quickly or take the notice back and ask to stay longer?

We wanted to avoid having more than 1 month double rent as every move is so expensive. We've talked about it but dh can't say one way or the other which I would rather he did because I can't decide ...arghhhh! Should I wait another week or two? Now contacted Makler (grrr) so they might come up with something and one more advert is appearing on Wednesday (no one phoned for the last 2 though).

Crikey, admylin, what a nightmare. A professional job on the damp house is worth hanging on for, so I'd ask if you can retract your notice; if they say no, then your hand is forced and it's not your decision (ha!) and if they say yes, then panic over. If it's any help, we've had no one looking at the house over the last couple of months but suddenly lots of people are poking about, so maybe you'll get a good response on Wedneday; fingers crossed!

I'm getting sick of all this waiting, it's taking so long and I am quite patient ...up to now. Is JAnuary one of those change over times for people moving doyou think? I know the beginning of new school year (ie August or September) is meant to be one of the times.

Wow, admylin, I'm sorry you're having so much trouble with the apartment. I think I would also ask your present landlord for an extension and hang in there for the new apt in March. I'd also make sure that the woman gives you proof that a professional has done the mold removal job and maybe get a qualified independent person in there too to check it.

It's awful seeing the kids under so much stress. My son's teachers for the 8th class are like that - writing down every single thing the kids have forgotten and making a huge drama out of everything. The other day they were supposed to have a substitute teacher but she never showed up so the class was left alone. According to the offical school rules someone is supposed to notify the Sekretariat after five minutes, but none of the kids did and another teacher finally noticed after 35 minutes when things got very loud with no supervision. So the whole class had to stay an extra hour on Friday afternoon as punishment. No mention of what kind of punishment the teacher who didn't show up got!

Class participation makes up about 60% of the final mark in my kids' school for most subjects and neither of my boys are very chatty so they often lose out there. The teachers are constantly commenting on how quiet they are. I guess they don't leave much room for different personalities here.

My husband did his Fachabitur through the "zweite Bildungsweg". He finished Realschule, did an apprenticeship as an auto mechanic, did his military service and then decided to further his education and went on to a Fachhochschule where he got a diploma in mechanical engineering. He got a great job (which was more luck than ability or experience, but still!) and has been with the company since 1988. So there are lots of ways to go about it.

There's a big fuss going on in Hannover right now with parents petitioning to improve the school system and bring back the 13 year Gymnasium instead of the 12 years they recently switched to. The kids are just under too much pressure and hardly have any time for anything but school work which is such shame.

Admylin
How annoying that the flat won't be ready for a while. I suppose it does show that it is being done properly.

Can you take back the notice of the flat that you are in? As long as you have it in writing that the new flat will be yours in March then I would probably do that. You said that everything else is great about it.

Nighby
Sorry to hear about the problems with the school. I cannot tell you how happy we are to not be in the German school system. DH got a job offer recently in Munich and that was one of the reasons that we turned it down.

I agree with WestVan though, that there are lots of kids who just do not have the maturity to deal with the school system but go back and do their Abi later. DH did that, after doign his apprenticeship in the bank went to FOS then to FH to study Business Admin. He has done really well.

Westvan: "No mention of what kind of punishment the teacher who didn't show up got"

gets an evil (fanatical) glint in her eye... Should we, should we huh... think up some suitable punishment?

dd was saying we should think about getting/making (groan) one ofthose Christmas wreaths with the 4 candles you put on a table. I never see the point in it for us. They are so huge, take up so much space and we are out all day Sunday so we don't get to light one each Sunday and sit around doing the Kaffee and Kuchen. Do you all have these Adventskranzen then?

She also wants the playmobil bankrobber (?!) Adventskalender. Wtf? And can I find it? No.

nooooooooooooo, not the Playmobile calender. It is just lots and lots of teenytiny wee small miniscule bitty bits of plastic.

They are small.

You will be finding them for years, down the back of chairs, behind the curtains, in the cupboards.

Don't do it.

I know, I know

I know these damn calenders. She gets them every year. First year I tried the chocolate ones but she didn't get it since she doesn't like chocolate (which I did not know then). she'd open a window each morning and run to throw the chocolate in the bin

So we got the playmobil ones. The good thing was initially I got dh to build them up. They take forever with the boxes and then somehow hanging the boxes in the slots without the other ones you've already put in fallingo ut etc etc. What joy.

I have to get this one now if I can find/ordre it since I've promised. She has a ton ofthis playmobil clutter. All the people in one box and everything else in another box. I am sure the hoover eats a lot of it, ditto the lego.

Be hard-harted, and get the one with little pictures and NO PRESENT

we had teh Playmobil ones last year, which was rather against my principles, as am an advent calendar hater. This year, we will have our crib in an advent calendar, I think.

No, we dont have a wreath either, btw!

I know the children could do teh school later, but if they finish uni at 30, how will they buy a house? I think loads of germans are stuck in the 80s mentality, of thinking that you can take years studying, but life is more competitive these days.

ha ha ha at getting the ones with NO present in this household

ha ha ha (dd could cope but dh would be a right pain about it). He swamps us in this playmobil stuff. Have never seen the point in it but we are like a playmobil factory showroom. I keep saying "no MORE, please, no more". Next time he goes out, he comes back with another box.

I'm going to end up like one of those chronic "messies" I tell him. Have you seen them on tv with junk piled up to the ceiling in every room, including bags of rubbish? Just unbelievable.... Shudder. We wouldn't have that but I can really see this playmobil reaching to the ceiling. I'm telling myself she has to be too old for all this stuff before long.

Do you know, practically every 30 year old German I have ever met is still a student?