First Day of School

School is beginning in Graz!

Our children took their typical first day of school picture ... you had to cajole a smile out of them!

Turns out the First Day of School is a big deal in Austria, or at least at Grace's school. Parents (in many case, both parents) were standing outside to meet their kids with gifts in huge cone-packages and giant sunflowers. Sadly, we were clueless and had nothing.

Grace's class met from 7:45-9:30! On Thursdays she'll also go 7:45-9:30, but instead of class, the whole class does to church (the whole school?). The rest of the week she goes 7:45 to 11:40. Today she met the English teacher and the German teacher. She'll meet with the German teacher for an hour each week. She finished one assignment in class early and so the teacher let her play a "learn German game" on the class computer. She was in good spirits when we picked her up.

Henry's class normally meets 7-1 or 8-12. They seem very flexible.  Since their schools are right next door to each other, Henry will probably go 7:45-11:45 or so. Friday his teachers told us to pick him up early this week, so we did. He said, "well, it was kinda fun, but I didn't make any friends." He said he didn't talk to anyone, just nodded his head yes or shook his head no. I think they had center time most of the time. The kids were playing at tables at drop off and pick up. They had snack out all day and the kids could eat whenever they wanted. (He liked the bread and honey but not the butter -- he must've been HUNGRY because Henry has not been trying anything!)

Sue