can anyone give me chapter and verse on the Gaelic Nursery in Berkeley St, please? am i really going to have to cough up 10p every time i drop dd off, for example?

[AitchwonderswhoFruitCrumbleis]

any thoughts?

DD has just started in P1 at the Gaelic school but was at nursery in a Gaelic unit on the south side.

We're picking up at lunchtime atm and paying the parking charges! Unless there's an extra person in the car (eg when gps pick up) to keep a lookout.

Putting DS to bed but will be back - am v enthusiastic about the school so far

but doooooooooggie... how much gaelic do you speak?

very very little.

But trying to learn - school runs a summer club with classes for adults and activities for LOs. DD and I did it this summer and was brilliant - and I am hoping to go to the Saturday morning family classes (again there is childcare so you can take DC from 2yo)

DH and I both want to learn - we'll see how far we get with it.

There is a bit of cliquery wrt parents who speak Gaelic/want to learn Gaelic/have no desire to learn. I know a couple of parents who are quite militant about it and look down on others who don't want to learn.

But having said that I get the impression that there is a real mix of folk, most don't speak much of the language and are laid back. The more extreme ones are in the minority imo.

DD was v funny, she just twigged the other day

"Miss McLeod can speak Scottish as well"

yeah, i did notice that the one mum who i noticed speaking it really fluently was not up for eye contact and hellos etc, but i have made my mind up that she is just shy and i'll think no more about it.

Yep good plan!

All the politics and stuff between different islands, native speakers vs learners etc is really interesting. But I just want to be friendly and learn about all the dynamics without getting embroiled in it IYSWIM.

Aitch will your DD start school next year?

I have to say DD is loving being at school and is starting to enjoy the language too. She was a bit bemused by the whole thing at nursery but it's changing.

not sure. technically yes, but i'm mulling over deferring her as she's a bit wee. we'll see what happens, a year is a long time and all that.
poor dd at the moment is most frustrated by the fact that she doesn't understand what the ladies are saying and that some of the other kids do. i just wish i knew, it's an interesting position to be in when they're so young. i thought it'd be a few years until she was learning stuff i didn't have a clue about.

doggie - glad to hear your dd is enjoying the school. My kids are in p2, 3, and 5 - she'll possibly know my dd2 in p2 already as she is the only pupil in the school who uses a wheelchair, so tends to stand out a bit!!

I too noticed a big difference in the attitude to Gaelic when school started. Learning sounds etc made a big thing of it all - they love it. And going up a year is even better! My dd1 had the gaelic for "camel" in her spelling this week (IIRC chaimeal!) - how good are you when this is the sort of word that comes up?

I'm one of the laid back ones that doesn't speak much gaelic. Make that pretty much none. We thought about the Sat morning lessons but tbh by the time we factor in Beavers, Brownies, football, rugby, piano lessons and (new this week!!) accordion lessons (eeek!) plus the time we have to spend taking dd2 swimming cos of her hip problem, we just need Sat mornings at home!!

I wondered if you lot wanted to meet up for a chat about the school/gaelic/saying hi etc? I'm free most days till 3pm (as long as I am at school by then to pick up before the bus leaves) or 3.30 (if I am home by then). I live on the Southside doggie, but would be happy to come over to the west end and go for coffee or lunch or whatever at the end of school, if that suits better. Wed is the best day for me as I am over picking up after accordion lessons anyway, and can't do Tues.

Aitch, we deferred our oldest 2 (both feb birthdays) as we thought another year in gaelic nursery woudl improve vocab etc, and we are glad we did. Plus ds wasn't too reliable toilet wise at 4! With dd2 (Nov birthday) we sent her at almost 5 rather than 5 and a half, and while she has coped, it hasn't been as easy for her as it has for the other 2 - but I think a lot of that is down to her mobility issues!

weegiemum coffee/lunch would be lovely. I work f/t (DH is at home atm) in the west end so could meet at lunchtime, Byres Rd area, or could possibly take some time off one afternoon.

I don't have CAT but will toddle off now and get signed up for it cos I've been meaning to for ages anyway.

Aitch my DD was the same when she started nursery, she was annoyed and felt a bit left out I think. "Stupid Gaelic" was an oft heard phrase in our house for a while.

But just as weegiemum says, being at school seems to be changing things already - she is very fired up with learning the sounds and new words. She was only at nursery (Lyoncross) for 3 months which wasn't really enough time for her to settle fully.

Realising that there are all these cool older kids who speak Gaelic too has been a turning point (P7 buddies are like pop stars!)

Oh yes, the "buddies"

Dd2 especially loved hers and cried on the first day back when she relaised that she'd gone up to the high school!

Dd1 is pretty much gagging for p6, when she can be one!

Weegiemum I CATed you yesterday. Don't know if it worked as it's the first time I've done it.

weegie when you deferred were you in glasgow? i was asking about it today and it seems like we'd have to pay all of dd's nursery fees (which have of course just gone up 400%).

I deferred one in the Outer Hebrides and another in Glasgow. Ds was born Feb 2002 so could have started 2006 or 2007. He started Aug 2007 and no-one ever suggested to us that we would have to pay any fees. Its a bit shocking if that is happening - especially with Gaelic the extra year in nursery if very useful for language.

Doggie - I did get your message - sorry things have been a bit frantic here - new baby in family etc. Will mail back asap!

ah, the fees are set-aside for jan and feb births but not for dec. except that they are in east renfrewshire... bum. ii'll phone the cooncil tomorrow. and re the parking, it's the meters or nowt apparently. (although i did see one mum in the carpark today).

Thats a pain about the parking - the 'dhe a dol' (newsleter) we got last week said to stay out of the staff car park but didn't actually say how they were planning to enforce this .

We sometimes pick up at the buses after school, but it usually me and dh, so one sits in the car and glares at the traffic warden if they come!

We always used the staff car park for drop offs. I don't think we ever paid the meter!

Aitch - I think that if the nursery supports the deferral for December born babies, then you can get the fees paid. Why not ask?

i will, i'm going to ring them tomorrow, but the nursery teacher (miss macneill ) said that other kids had paid, so it doesn't look good.

Aitch - ds's nursery is closeish to Berkley St and I got hit with a ticket when I picked him up once (never usually take the car - was so cross with myself) at around 3ish. I think the traffic wardens are out in force at school pick-up time so I'd definitely pay the 10p. I was literally 2 minutes and £30 lighter.

Oh yes, and then forgot to pay it straight away so was £60 down.

Ah, deferred fees are more of a pressing issue than 10p parking - I see the thread has moved on

yy, one of the mums said today that she lives next to the campus and she can actually see the wee yellow meanies waiting to swoop.
mind you, my pal got a ticket on our street at 9pm on a sunday.

yes and no. i have problems priotising. as do you, it seems.

The only issue I can see with using the staff car park is that you might fall foul of Mrs

who's she?

Mrs McCombe is the Head Teacher.
She is nice.

But you don't want to get on her bad side!!!

(from CHildren here: nice but really strict!!!)