dina1965

I did something similar when Ricki was in third elementary - I got a note in my son's diary saying "when are you free to speak in english to the class again ... is next tuesday ok"
another difference between north and south ?????????

Patty

Oh dear Dina - maybe it is Still at least you know they liked you lots if they want you back again.

Lorna - I have 2 tea cosies - one a knitted one by a friend of my mums and the other is a lovely quilted one made by a lady who used to run a tea room in Guernsey. As for tea bags - well luckily I had 3 unopened boxes - one 240 Yorkshire bags/one 80 tetley decaf bags and one box of 80 Sainsbury basic range. I wrote the price on each one so they could see the difference - they couldnt believe I paid 38 pence for a box of 80

TestaRossa

Love the tea stories! I have a tea cosy that is crocheted to look like a cottage. Never use it, it's in my treasure chest - my mum made it.

Lorna at Vicenza

Not surprised you never use it - you wouldn't want to spoil that.

TestaRossa

I think you'd end up with green woolly tea anyway!! It's a green cottage!

indiebird

Lorna -those pizza thingys can be a nightmare.... the last one H's class did was in the terza.... I spent all night having whinging little girls coming up to me to tell on H -I couldn't understand a damn thing... the teachers were both busy thank christ! The school rep asked for €10 this year as 'not everyone wants to give money.' I saw her today and said 'oh and I am not putting money in the prezzie fund. I've tried and tried and that's enough for me. You need to give respect if you want respect back.' She said that she only has €20 and she put €10 in... I said 'there is a reason for that.' We left it at that. H came home with a note yesterday about a show they are doing one evening as a kind of end of school thing. The teachers wanted to take all the kids to the pizzeria beforehand cost: €8 without pudding €10 with. Parents/ siblings not invited. Fair enough. I signed it but it seems that a lot of parents think a) price is too steep b) how the hell will the teachers handle 25 of the little gits full of coca cola. I figured that's their problem. This is what I told a gaggle of parents outside the school gates. Someone was saying it wasn't very secure to which I replied 'more secure than letting 10year old girls who look older out to the park on their own... there was silence..... and then agreement with me. Must be learning something....

Testa -I suspect a bidello/ bidella at H's school too of the thefts.... -I hope your son's school involved the police -how horrible.

Patty -that was a really lovely thing to do and I am so glad that they appreciated you too.... I live in hope but I won't hold my breath that the English prof is as 'buona' as I've been told at the scuola Media here.

Patty

Well done Indie - I'm proud of you You probably dont realise but slowly slowly (in your case very slowly) you are making an impact - they just need time. You have been right in so many things - you can hold your head up high !!

37100

And the other €10 came from a teacher's sister. Well done, big well done.

indiebird

Thanksxxxx I am learning. I've always used my friendly charm and empathy to get people on my side in the past... there are limits though even for me.

H gone off to MiniItalia today. They left at 7am. No eye contact for me from the teachers. Still in the doghouse. I did explain very loudly though that I couldn't read the notes in H's diary last night to another mum and had to get her daughter to help me decipher them... H was beside himself as he had punishment that he was supposed to have done (not written down) and the teacher told him she would decide in the morning (at 6.50) if he could go on the trip. I kept my mouth shut at home last night but privately I was thinking 'I'm not getting my arse to the school at that time only to be told I was going home again.' ...surely even he could see it was an empty threat though as they would need to make other arrangements for him at school today... I really want to say to them 'You know, empty threats/ promises are worse than useless. Any parent who's ever read a book about parenting knows that....'

Lorna at Vicenza

Wow - that's an early start. Hope he loves the trip and mini Italy. We went a couple of years ago and enjoyed it.

I got up to get my kids ready and Chloe is almost crying with tummy ache today.... so bollocks to school today. We are all stopping in. Think I might go back to bed for an hour.

TestaRossa

Compared to some of the stuff you lot put up with this is a minor one, but one that has always bugged me about the Catholic church..I can understand going into a church, as a female and being told to cover up strappy t-shirts and not wear shorts or tiny skirts, might not necessarily agree that God would be upset and horrified, but along with other religions and veils etc. I guess it is in that realm.

Antonia, 6, wore a sundress to school today. She didn't take a cardi or jacket it was too warm. This is a school, not a church, even if there are nuns there - when they were queueing to go into school this morning her nun apparently told her to cover up her arms, and in a cross voice Antonia said!! Unbelievable! Who is a 6 year old in a sun dress going to imflame or disrespect by dressing like that?? She only told me after I had picked her up and the nun never said a word to me! I asked her if I should go in in my bikini on Monday, Antonia that is, she was horrified and worried she would get told off if I did!!

Lorna at Vicenza

Ridiculous. It was a little girls sundress - not a bikin top and booty shorts !!!

What was she supposed to cover her arms with anyway?

I find the whole church and clothes thing a big nonsense anyway ....... cover your shoulders to go to church yet all the brides wear bodice style wedding dresses with completely bare shoulders and arms. Is there a special Papal dispention or something for brides?

TestaRossa

She didn't and it was too hot anyway! Very silly! Maybe the brides are given one of those lovely paper capes some churches give you as they walk thru the door!

indiebird

Poor Antonia! That's rubbish isn't it... Julias class was told no sandals but that is for safety reasons... wonder if they were worried about Antonia getting sunburn rather than decency... I always send my kids into school with hats on in the sun. I try not to get too hung up on suncream but Julia is v. blonde and pale and freckly so I do tend to keep her arms covered... they are still wearing their grembuli anyways.

H had a good day at MiniItalia by all accounts. He took €10 and came back with a shell for us that is supposed to tell us the weather and a huge pencil for Julia. Nothing for himself so I felt that it was a really lovely thing to do. I send J down to collect him.....

TestaRossa

That's nice. Glad he had a good time. Probably what he needed.

No, it was a decency issue, she would have said something about the sun to me if it had been that, she never uttered a word about the dress when I arrived to pick Antonia up, so I doubt it was anything else. She has a really pink nose now though!

Just got back from the end of year show of my friend's daughter. She does rollerblading. It was really good! I was very impressed! Even some of the mums have taken it up and they did a piece too! All very ice dance but it was fun, which I don't find ice dance is meself. I hope her daughter keeps it up. Only thing is it isn't a sport in the same way ice skating is so it is all national stuff and never goes out of Italy, well not Olympic or World Championship anyway. Having seen some of those kids do cartwheels and the splits in those skates I don't know why it isn't!!