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Questions about Italian preschool/schools

Questions about Italian preschool/schools

Old Jul 21st 2011, 1:47 pm
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Default Questions about Italian preschool/schools

Questions about Italian schools

Hi,
My husband works at caserma ederle in vicenza (He's is American , I am British, our daughter is both) so we have the option of sending our 4 year old to preschool on the US base in September or to a local italian school.
It was always my intention to send her to the latter, but I'm starting to worry a bit about it. So I have some questions:

Do they have catchment areas for schools? Does she have to go to the school closest to our registered address? I have visited the cloest school, a little Catholic scuola materna but am put off by the fact no-one speaks a word of english there, and wonder how this could affect both my daughter's integration and my understanding what she needs etc etc.

What are people's experiences of sending yound children to school here? She speaks a few pleasantries in Italian so far, but that's all. I've heard within a month young children pick up enough to function and are generally fluent within a year.

What do they teach them at age 4-5? I heard they don;t start reading and writing until age 6 (which is ok because learning the language first would be good), but what else do they teach them at that age? I am concerned we may return to the UK in the next few years and since in the UK she would be starting to read and write this september she could be 2 years behind her peers if we return home. Any thoughts?

The local scuola materna has 3 classes: piccolo, media and grande. My understanding was that they stay at scuola materna until age 6, right? So piccolo would be 3-4, media 4-5 and grande 5-6 - is that right because they have assigned her to piccolo, but she's age 4 - ?

The school hours state a finish time of 12.30 and a second finish time of 3.30. In general (obviously it may vary from school to school, just trying to see if I'm missing something obvious), do you choose which of those times you pick your child up? Or is it the little ones always leave at 12.30 like in the UK? Or if you choose do you have to do the same hours each day, or can you mix and match? I have trawled the info sheets with google translate but can't find the answer, so thought I'd ask before I make a fool of myself by emailing the school.

A few uniform/kit mysteryies that don't translate well in google translator, but I think uits something about a bib and an overall. I've seen the bibs when I was being touristy in verona, but is the overall just a painting smock, or are there particular styles they use for school? Where would I buy one (in the Vicenza/Padova area, or a chain of stores or something?)

How much of a problem is it likely to be that no-one in her school speaks any english, and I pretty much speak no italian of any use yet? I have already had one misunderstanding as a result of which she missed her trial hour there (I checked the time 3 times beforehand with them, pointing to it, and was reassured with lots of nods, only to find we'd missed the appointment by an hour).

I'm really concerned I'm going to let her down through my lack of understanding, more than worried about her settling in, though that is a factor. I would really like the experience for her, and the opportunaity to learn another language fully, etc etc, and its conveniently close to home etc, but I am starting to wonder if I should just go for the easy option with the american kids on base.

Any help would really be appreciated - its starting to cause me sleepless nights a bit!

Last edited by Loopy12; Jul 21st 2011 at 2:17 pm.
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Old Jul 21st 2011, 4:41 pm
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Default Re: Questions about Italian preschool/schools

Hi,
My husband works at caserma ederle in vicenza (He's is American , I am British, our daughter is both) so we have the option of sending our 4 year old to preschool on the US base in September or to a local italian school.
It was always my intention to send her to the latter, but I'm starting to worry a bit about it. So I have some questions:

Do they have catchment areas for schools? Does she have to go to the school closest to our registered address? I have visited the cloest school, a little Catholic scuola materna but am put off by the fact no-one speaks a word of english there, and wonder how this could affect both my daughter's integration and my understanding what she needs etc etc.

Not catchment areas as we know them in the UK. You can in theory send your child to any scuola materna that you choose - but the comune (town hall) one will take kids registered as residents in that comune first.

What are people's experiences of sending yound children to school here? She speaks a few pleasantries in Italian so far, but that's all. I've heard within a month young children pick up enough to function and are generally fluent within a year.

There are lots of mums on this forum that have sent their kids to school here with little or no Italian - some of them as small as yours and some of them much older. I think nearly all of the kids picked up Italian very quickly - certainly faster than the parents.

What do they teach them at age 4-5? I heard they don;t start reading and writing until age 6 (which is ok because learning the language first would be good), but what else do they teach them at that age? I am concerned we may return to the UK in the next few years and since in the UK she would be starting to read and write this september she could be 2 years behind her peers if we return home. Any thoughts?

You're right - they don't teach them reading and writing at scuola materna. It's more a kind of play-school / pre-school. They do a lot of worksheets on things like the various holidays, the seaons, measurements, big vs small etc. and they do a lot of colouring in ... all supposed to help them learn how to manage a pencil properly. They have a lot of games and songs and poems, music and PE.

The local scuola materna has 3 classes: piccolo, media and grande. My understanding was that they stay at scuola materna until age 6, right? So piccolo would be 3-4, media 4-5 and grande 5-6 - is that right because they have assigned her to piccolo, but she's age 4 - ?

It depends when her actual birthday is. You could ask if they might have put her in the baby class because she's new and doesn't speak Italian ... but I doubt that. She could fit in just as well with middle class if that's where she is meant to be. New kids that arrioved at my kids' school were put in with their age group.

The school hours state a finish time of 12.30 and a second finish time of 3.30. In general (obviously it may vary from school to school, just trying to see if I'm missing something obvious), do you choose which of those times you pick your child up? Or is it the little ones always leave at 12.30 like in the UK? Or if you choose do you have to do the same hours each day, or can you mix and match? I have trawled the info sheets with google translate but can't find the answer, so thought I'd ask before I make a fool of myself by emailing the school.

Yes you choose the time and you have to stick to it. You can't have 12.30 on Mondays and 3.30 on Thursdays. Some mummies are very very over protective and think that a 'full' day at school is way too much for their precious darlings. Most kids manage just fine with the full day in my experience as they get a nice lunch and most schools have a dorm where the baby and middle kids have a nap after lunch.

A few uniform/kit mysteryies that don't translate well in google translator, but I think uits something about a bib and an overall. I've seen the bibs when I was being touristy in verona, but is the overall just a painting smock, or are there particular styles they use for school? Where would I buy one (in the Vicenza/Padova area, or a chain of stores or something?)

There is no uniform as such but most scuola materna do use the "grembiule" which as you rightly said, looks like an artist's smock. Most schools have a set colour as well. Some are pretty pastels and some are checks. Most places about town start selling them end of August beginning of September. Some of the larger supermarkets sometimes sell them as well and they are a little bit cheaper there than kids' clothes shops. Not cheap for a smock though. Last year I paid 18 euro but it does help to keep tops clean especially from glue and paint. Our 'proper' primary school still uses them too and they are black with white collars. All the kids look like something out of a Dicken's orphanage stuck behind the big school gates.

Kids need a bib. You don't need to buy a special one but most schools do want one that is elasticated at the back so that kids can just slip it over their heads and the teachers don't have to tie a hundred bows at the back of each kid's neck. If you already have this style at home you can use your own. Some kids go with big white ones that have been trimmed and embroidered with the kids name on them by Granny. I didn't have time for all that. Some schools want a little hand towel as well and most of them want a little cloth pump bag and the kids bring home their bib and towel in it every Friday for washing.
If the school has a dorm they might want you to provide a little blanket and a small pillow as well. Some also ask for a small foam mattress that goes on top of the camp bed style thing in the dorm. Small fleece type blankets can be bought easily all over the place.


How much of a problem is it likely to be that no-one in her school speaks any english, and I pretty much speak no italian of any use yet? I have already had one misunderstanding as a result of which she missed her trial hour there (I checked the time 3 times beforehand with them, pointing to it, and was reassured with lots of nods, only to find we'd missed the appointment by an hour).

She'll pick up Italian faster than you, she'll have playmates and be invited to birthday parties. She'll be the one coming home and telling you that today she had carne and patate and piselli for lunch and Mummy that means meat and potatoes and peas. You'll probably learn quite a lot of vocab from her.

I'm really concerned I'm going to let her down through my lack of understanding, more than worried about her settling in, though that is a factor. I would really like the experience for her, and the opportunaity to learn another language fully, etc etc, and its conveniently close to home etc, but I am starting to wonder if I should just go for the easy option with the american kids on base.

Any help would really be appreciated - its starting to cause me sleepless nights a bit!

There are lots of mums on this site and they're all lovely and helpful. You can stick any school notes etc. on here and we'll tell you what they mean.
We have a dedicated school thread where mums ask questions about how the system works or moan about the price of school books.
We also have a language thread where you can ask what any word mean and usually get a fast reply.

Give it a go. If it really doesn't work out for either of you - would you still be able to get her into the school on base?

Last edited by Lorna at Vicenza; Jul 21st 2011 at 4:45 pm.
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Old Jul 21st 2011, 5:32 pm
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Default Re: Questions about Italian preschool/schools

As Lorna said, if things don't work out and you can opt for the US base school at a later date, go for it. Your daughter will get to know some local children and there WILL be a few mums who speak English. One trick I learnt was to write every thing you are told down or get them to write it down for you so you can go over your notes later and that way I can also say ' well no, actually that isn't what you told me' because I found that they would tell me things then change them and get some mums to pass the word on, but not all messages got through.
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Old Jul 22nd 2011, 1:39 pm
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Default Re: Questions about Italian preschool/schools

Thank you for taking the time to reply. That was very helpful. I think you're right, the best thing is to just give it a go and see what happens. I'm more likely to regret not taking up the opportunity than doing so.

Since the base is used to people coming and going all year around, if all else fails I can probably get her back in there with minimal hassle.

Convenience-wise I'd be tempted to send her for the full day, but I guess if she did a half day she could still do the ballet and swimming lessons on base that she is doing now, giving her the afternoons with english-speaking children to lessen the blow perhaps.

Its also occurred to me that it could be quite lonely for me too - at the moment the only people I meet and talk to properly are other mums whose children do the same classes on base as mine, and I would lose that too if she goes fulltime.

Thankyou again!
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Old Jul 22nd 2011, 1:48 pm
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Default Re: Questions about Italian preschool/schools

Originally Posted by Loopy12
Thank you for taking the time to reply. That was very helpful. I think you're right, the best thing is to just give it a go and see what happens. I'm more likely to regret not taking up the opportunity than doing so.

Since the base is used to people coming and going all year around, if all else fails I can probably get her back in there with minimal hassle.

Convenience-wise I'd be tempted to send her for the full day, but I guess if she did a half day she could still do the ballet and swimming lessons on base that she is doing now, giving her the afternoons with english-speaking children to lessen the blow perhaps.

Its also occurred to me that it could be quite lonely for me too - at the moment the only people I meet and talk to properly are other mums whose children do the same classes on base as mine, and I would lose that too if she goes fulltime.

Thankyou again!
That sounds like a plan !

Have you got a car?
I'm just on the other end of the motorway (the Valdastico) if you ever want a decent cup of tea ... or something stronger
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Old Jul 22nd 2011, 4:16 pm
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Default Re: Questions about Italian preschool/schools

Valdastico, as in near Asiago? We're actually living in San Pietro in Gu...slightly closer to you than Vicenza itself.

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Old Jul 22nd 2011, 4:28 pm
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Default Re: Questions about Italian preschool/schools

Valdastico is the name of a stretch of motorway - it's usually fairly quiet and only two lanes.
It's quiet because it goes from my town towards Vicenza and then splits for Milan and Venice ....... but in the other direction it stops dead in my town. It just doesn't go any further because there is a big mountain in the way.

It's very easy for people to find me because once they're on that motorway they just have to keep going until they can't go any further. Name of my town is Piovene Rocchette.
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Old Jul 22nd 2011, 9:01 pm
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Default Re: Questions about Italian preschool/schools

Back to the original post (too long to quote) I sent my children to the local materna even though there was an international choice. When my eldest started we had been in Italy less than a year, there was a meeting before school started and I took someone with me to translate but after that I was on my own.

I did misunderstand some things, but when there is anything important the school will make sure you understand. My children though have all integrated really well and very quickly. I also found out over time that a lot of people had some English but were actually shy about using it.

Our school is really flexible about finishing times and I can decide at drop off whether I will back at 1.30 or 4. My understanding was that it was common practice to have mixed age groups, but that may be just the schools that I know.

Although they don't formally learn anything academic they do learn. As a comparison to the UK system my son is the same school year as his cousin in the UK system. When DS started school (an International one after three years at Italian Materna) he was reading the same books as his cousin (both schools were using the Oxford Reading Tree Scheme) by February.

All in all Italian materna has been a positive experience for us.
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