Lorna at Vicenza

I should think myself lucky then that all the text books here have been handed to the kids by the teachers and Chloe and Alex just bring them home to get plastic covered.

Just when I thought I'd finished covering them all, Alex came home with 4 more yesterday - 2 for English and 2 for religion - but at least they are free at the Elementare and I don't have to queue up in shops to get them.

indiebird

You should count yourself lucky! Sounds much more civilised Lorna. I had to queue up AND by the covers at the same time and the covers are not for the uncoordinated mama either are they... ah welll.... I think we're now sorted re: books..... hopefully

duffer

For religion to they teach only Christianity or give an insight into all the religions of the world?

indiebird

well here it is catholic religion so not all the religions of the world as it would be in the uk. you can opt out though as we did. ds is the only one opted out and he is now helping in the other class with their english... we would rather he was improving his italian but hey-ho.... and in dds class it is her and a boy and they are both having help with their writing as neither of them have it yet. I think it is a bit annoying for the teachers but we were advised by the presida that, especially for ds it would be more useful for him to have italian support but she never filtered this info down to the teachers... same old story....

duffer

Although we're a couple of years from it, I would prefer if BB was doing something more useful than hours of RE every week. If he were learning about the world and its religions fair enough.

Lorna at Vicenza

It's definitely not world religions.

It's mostly Bible stories. They can't concentrate too much on the real ins and outs of catholicism as they do all that seperately in catechism classes organised by the church or patronato and not the school. That's optional too.

I was going to opt Chloe out of RE but discovered that the only kids not doing it are muslims and they all do extra Italian instead. That might have been good for Indie's kid and the other kids that didn't grow up here but Chloe doesn't need any extra Italian.

I figured that a few Bible stories were harmless and at least it gives her a break from some of the much heavier lessons.

BB ? Baby Brando ?

duffer

Yeah BB.
I wouldn't want him to feel left out by not doing RE but then again I wouldn't want that to be the reason for him to take part in it.

indiebird

yeah the reason Lorna said was exactly the reasoning for us, but Lorna's kids and probably bb won't need extra italian. There are not that many muslim kids here tbh as it is a small town and 99.9% of kids do it, but for us it isn't as important as the italian is but this year I think the class teachers are being pulled in different directions as the school is trying to save money and so one of my son's teacher is seen as a 'specialist' in English (this weeks spelling mistakes were: fourty and ninty ) and so my son is going along with her to the other class when it is there religion time to help with the English lessons (although he uses an italian accent when he speaks english at school or the other kids don't understand what he says ) I did have a note from dd's teachers saying that their day for religion was a tuesday and if i wanted to i could take her out of school but there didn't seem much point goinng to get her one day early and then going back for ds and then going to get him at another random time as I have to be fair to them both!!!

The Catechism was the worst part for my son as they all got confirmed earlier this year except him and they all got prezzies and goodness knows what and they all brought in prezzies for the teachers and got little poems from the teachers but of course he did not and felt a bit left out. I don't feel strongly anti or anything, I just don't believe myself and it seems hypocritical personally to stick the kids in for this stuff when we don't go to church (tbh I don't actually think most italians do either) etc. This is the very reason that the kids have never been christened in the UK and if my and oh ever did do the marriage thang then we wouldn't be doing the deed in a pretty church somewhere just cos it's pretty... but that's just us!!

indiebird

Had a note in my son's diary today saying: 'Can you find the missing maths sheets at home from the holiday homework?' They have been at school a month now, you would have thought she would have had all the homework in and marked it wouldn't you? I've just written 'I've searched but I cannot find them' and signed my life away again... if they were here I would have either stuffed them in his bag to take to school or binned em by now!! This would be my one argument against all this holiday homework: you need to spend time going over it, which, inevitably, eats into time being spent on what you need to do this year... I think I need to go and do some sun salutations oh and make carrot and ginger soup for tea as it is still a bit nippy in the shade!!

TestaRossa

Remember someone said something about sucking up to the teachers? Another friend had been having trouble at her son's school, hers and yours are about the same age I think. She wrote a letter saying how helpful the teacher was and thanking her for making allowances for her son and his language difficulties etc. basically praising her to the heavens. The teacher now hugs the mum and the son's life has become much easier! Might be more difficult for you to pull this one off with your history, but I thought it was interesting. They obviously get so little feed back that is good from parents that when they do it makes their day!

indiebird

I am always polite to their faces and there was a time when i did go to them and say 'look, there is a problem what do you think we should do' but they have no actual answers only criticism. I even remember ds bringing home some grammar homework at the beginning of last year and it was really helpful to get him to understand words,phrases etc. that I wrote and told them that it was helpful and he could do with more of that kinda stuff.... was never seen again... I don't think they want me to say anything, just listen to what they've got to say. I am getting better and we have had a good week apart from that last night. we've been walking to and from school and I think this is what my son especially needs. They couldn't go out to play at school yesterday as the workmen are redoing the pavement outside their french windows. I did think to myself that perhaps they could have used another door to go outside. My daughter's class go out at least once a day if not twice. Keeping these boys sitting down all day is cruel imho, but of course, not being a teacher I am no expert....

37100

You always make me smile. Asking for grammar work was asking her to do more work.

indiebird

Well I just can't win then can I... you don't take an interest you're wrong, you take an interest and you're wrong... I'm glad I make you smile though!!

Lorna at Vicenza

The kids have only been back a month and what did they bring home yesterday?

A letter from the head telling us all to be super vigilant as there is an epidemic of nits in the school. Already!!!!

I hope Chloe doesn't bring the nasty little critters home again. I'm mixing up a batch of lavender, rosemary and tea tree oil so I can spray her hair with it each morning. Hopefully it will work as a nit detterent.

indiebird

You need to make sure you spray behind her ears Lorna as this apparently is where they like the best and the nape of the neck! Julia tried to convince me that 'other girls' in her class wear their hair down. Well there is no way she is! I like it up in a ponytail and plaited! We call it a 'princess fiona' in our house after the style that the Shrek character wears her hair in.