School

First Day:

August 22th

Subjects:
Math, Spanish, History, Social Studies, Science, Geography, Art

Special Days: 

Uniform day - Mon.

P. E. - Tues & Thur

National Holidays celebrated so far:

Sept. 16 - Independence Day

 Which was also around the time of Monte's birthday! This was a big turning point for him. To be able to celebrate his birthday was the first time he was able to understand, enter in, relax and enjoy himself in the classroom. Up to this point things were a bit stressful for this first grader who had never been to school away from home and didn't know any Spanish!

Oct. 12 - Day of the Races

This is similar to Columbus day in the US, but different because instead of just celebrating the discovery of the Americas, it marks the first encounter of Europeans and Native Americans.  Hence "the races" formed by this unity are more what is celebrated here in Mexico.

Oct. 14 - Retirement celebration for Maestra Norma

This was not a national holiday, but it was obviously a very big deal to the entire community.  Maestra Norma had taught school in La Cienega for close to 30 years.  At her retirement, she was honored with a parade, a 2 hour presentation/talent show, and a community potluck.

This was a milestone for Kendra as she chose to finally let go of my hand and walk with her classmates in the parade.  She has been timid and cautious about school, but as she gets used to the new routine and grasps more of the language, she's also relaxing and enjoying herself.

Tyler and Boyd are very fortunate to have learned Spanish in dual immersion in Jackson.  They have adjusted quite well to school here in La Cienega.  Boyd enjoys the slower, less chaotic pace. He also likes the lunch food, cooked fresh every morning with fresh meats, vegetables and fruit juices.  Tyler says, "I like that it's easy to make friends, and it's funny that the new kids are best taken care of. The boys can be a little mean though. In my old school, everyone was the same. We all spoke English and we all spoke Spanish.  Here, I'm the only one who speaks English."

And so it goes with school...  Everyday, we parents spend a lot of time interpreting homework and feedback from the teachers, formulating responses, and translating them back into Spanish.  Homework takes 2 hours daily.  It's a good time for all of us to work on our language skills.  All in all, the school day ends up being just as long and more involved than back in Jackson.  We are happy they can be in public school though. It gives all of us much more interaction than if we were homeschooling. It forces Keith and I to use and build on our limited Spanish!