CA-NY

Our shipping was 7 weeks with Crown Relocation, Rosyth (Scotland) to Newark.

Sliv

Can I ask a random question our son who is 7 asked - what happens about beds? Did you just buy new beds for everyone rather than wait 6 weeks for them to arrive?!

kodokan

We were in temporary furnished accommodation (holiday villa booked via Homeaway) for the first 4-5 weeks, during which we looked for and signed a lease on a rental house. Something like 30-60 days paid temporary accommodation is usually included in the relocation.

moNYC

Our relo package included rental furniture so they pretty much furnished the whole place including bedding, kitchen utensils, etc. I was so grateful for that when I arrived at night after a day flight with 4 kids (with a baby that hardly slept). They even left some milk, orange juice, fruits, a box of cookies and some chilled wine to welcome us They paid for the rental furniture but I don't think they paid for rent...

petitefrancaise

we took the cash offered in exchange for temp accommodation and moved into our rental home immediately. Since all our beds were arriving in 8 weeks, we used our blow up camping mattresses with our own bedlinen in the meantime. Bringing the kids' duvets/teddies helped a lot with making them feel at home in the new environment.

Sliv

Thanks all. We are hoping to move straight into a rented house so that we can use that for school allocation - looks like we will be on blow up beds!

petitefrancaise

Blow up beds from Walmart if you haven't got them already- far and away the cheapest place to get them.

Sliv

Hi could anyone give me a heads up on Brayton Elementary in Summit? We have seen a house where Brayton would be the school fir our 7 year old. We are moving over in March.

Thanks

S

moNYC

Hi Sliv

I live just across the street from Brayton and although I don't have any kids there all my son's friends in Middle school went there and speak highly of it and my next door neighbour has 3 kids there and really likes it too. There is a lovely community feel to it! The location is lovely with the park and all the facilities. In the Summer they run soccer, basketball and other camps at the park. Hope it helps

Sliv

Thank you that's really helpful

cullinp

Evening all,

Have been in the process of relocating from West Yorkshire originally to Indianapolis and now New Jersey since last May (Visa delays).

Moving with semi-reluctant wife and three girls (7, 4, 1).

Just wanted to say that I found this thread really helpful. I'm in NJ every couple of months at the moment so your suggestions and advice will help on my next trip in a week or two.

Will keep in touch, looks like there are a few of us in the same boat!!

Thanks, Paul.

Sliv

Paul we have children of a very similar age, we have a boy 7, girl just turned 4 and a boy nearly 2. We are moving to NJ in March. I'm probably feeling a bit like your wife, half excited half scared. I'm mainly worried about the children's schooling.

We had a few bumps re the visa but now all sorted.

We are over in Feb to house hunt - looking at Madison, Chatham, Summit and Basking Ridge.

Where will you be based for work?

samiam1066

Hello I taught in UK and in USA schools for 28 years. Overall I would say NJ is one of the better states for education and quality of teachers.

Here are my observation.

Teachers in US are not well respected so they have developed a tough skin. To get the best education for your kid tell your kids teacher they are the best teacher and they will be the best teacher they possibly can be for your kids.

Teachers are under a lot of pressure to have high test scores so they may not be as patient as the teachers in UK which are more laid back.

First the kids will have to get used to getting up early. Many schools start at 7:30am and bus pick up maybe be from 6:30 am. So when you are looking at houses consider how close they are to school.

Unlike UK schools for 7 and 10 year olds there is more sitting and more work sheets rather than integrated these or projects. So there is very little linkage between Math and English and Art and Science. Each subject is taught in isolation.

In US there are a lot more special education kids, especially boys. A lot of this is asking kids to sit a long time and doing work sheet on work sheet on work sheet. The kids are bored. Until secondary level kids are not usually streamed so you have kids wanting to work and kids that are not interested in learning.

Elementary school kids get more homework than in secondary schools. Teachers have learned that rather than fight students (and parents) over homework, they give less at secondary level.

US Schools tend to have better music programs than UK schools.

What clothes your kids wear will determine which peer group they fit in with. This becomes more apparent at secondary school where there are the jocks, the preps, the nerds, the goths (weird), the wannabe and the poor kids. Very few schools have uniforms. If you want a school with uniforms then look at a Catholic school, however you will have to pay.

Catholic schools did not have good teachers as pay was low, but this is changing as pay has improved and working conditions in a public (state) school has deteriorated.

Sports is a good way for your kids to get to know other kids. And at secondary level, sports and band.

The more support you give your kids teachers, the better education and truth (good and
bad) they will get from the teacher.

A C grade in USA is almost considered an F. Education is reduced to a number, the number determines your grade. So most tests are multi choice, True / False, oil in the blank. Short answer or essay questions are rare. In US school something is right or wrong. Looking at how a kid thinks or arrives at an answer is not encouraged or wanted.

Teachers in US tend to know their subject matter but do not have the broad base of a n education a British teacher would have had. I remember an elementary teacher that did not know the USA had put a man on the moon. Most British teachers have traveled overseas and experienced different cultures. Most US teachers (and students) have not.

Most US teachers are considered liberal/ Democrats, most UK teachers vote Labour ( or used to ). However US teachers tend to be a lot more Conservative then UK teachers. Like most uK teachers US teachers are in a union, but they are not union minded, they join mostly for protection as US is far more litigious.

US teachers have huge amount of paper work. They work hard and long hours, most nights take work home with them.

Any kid can get a good education if the parents have got their kids to value education and respect the teachers.

My guess is your kids will do well in US Schools.

Hope this helps.

cullinp

I'll be fairly mobile throughout the US TBH however our base is in Woodcliff Lake...

cullinp

L1 approved - moving to Bergen County when the kids current half term finishes at the end of May.