gelato

My (state) school in Australia was pretty basic back in the 80s. I remember that they bought some brand spanking new computers (probably commodore 64s ) and someone at the school stole them a week later with his mates. We all knew who did it - he was a petty crim already at age 16. We did have basic art supplies though (paint, paper, pastels) and we swam in the university pool up the road for free.

My 2 year old daughter is currently doing the inserimento at the public asilo nido here in Rome and so far it's going swimmingly. She's been with a babysitter since she was around 10 months old so she's used to being away from us. The first day I took the day off work and went with her and she just toddled off to play with the other kids and the teachers. It seems very nice - big courtyard, nice big room with tons of toys, great teachers. I think it'll be good for her and she'll learn more Italian too.

indiebird

I have to say that I went to one of the roughest schools in Brighton but we had a small outdoor pool, tennis courts and loads of fields etc as it is right on the outskirts of the town next to Sussex Uni. Never brought a book, never paid for art stuff etc. There was even a kiln and the teacher had set up the stock room as a darkroom too. We had two well equipped cookery rooms, a textiles room and two workshops they used for Woodwork and stuff like that, There was also an IT suite with a computer for everyone. Back then it was those BBC computers, but we're talking mid 80's to early 1990s. We used to think we were badly off compared to some of the other schools in the leafier suburbs but looking back now I realise that we had a lot of brilliant teachers who had a passion for teaching kids who might not have come from the best backgrounds. I've even got a couple of mates who went back to give back to the school as teachers themselves.... they knocked the lot down this year to make way for one of these new fangled academies run by private business.... it's very telling that my mate has left and got herself a job at a Sixth Form college instead.

TestaRossa

I'm sorry, aren't all schools in Australia like the ones in Neighbours then?!!

Glad to hear she got in! Is it the one you wanted her to go to? She'll have a great time, Antonia normally did, she just got bored with the last year - I think they do start them at school a bit too late, but it's all down to the age split being Jan to Jan rather than Sept - Sept - Antonia would've been in secondo by now if they split the birthdays that way! Anyway hope she has fun, and yes, her Italian will come on brilliantly - Antonia was pretty much fluent by Easter having gone from nothing in the September!

Lol! It's all relative though isn't it?! I was at school pre-computers anyway, yes there was a time!! It wasn't badly equipped but by the time my nieces and nephew got there it had been stripped. It wasn't quite inner city but it wasn't Sussex either!!

Lorna at Vicenza

I remember a lot of us having a real Little Red Riding Hood type basket with a cloth covering that we used to take cookery ingredients to school and then bring home the cake or pie.

My mum used to complain when she had to buy things like caster sugar, raisins, icing sugar etc. Stuff that she normally never had in the house.

I absolutely hated winter hockey on a half frozen grass field. Hockey field or hockey pitch?

TestaRossa

Pitch! I got clobbered in the mouth by a hockey stick!! Hated sports, I ran around the hurdles!!

dina1965

I loved playing hockey (even in mid winter) - I once continued playing although my knee was gushing blood and later needed four stitches, I still have the scar. those were the times

Patty

I loved hockey too Just not the days when it was really freezing and we had to walk to the pitch which was about a mile away. We did netball (loved that -specially the orange at half time, tennis, swimming and PE and we had cookery, needlework, the 3 science labs and an art lab. I think we were lucky compared to the experience our kids have here.

I'm like Testa though - went to school pre-computers and thats my excuse for being computer illiterate

TestaRossa

Lol! I wanted to be a computer programmer when I was 9! I still have the picture I drew - huge boxes with reel to reel programming tape! All I wanted to do was work for Shell in Wythenshawe! They ran summer jobs for 16 year olds - I couldn't do the shifts as my dad didn't drive so I had no way of getting there for the night shifts as the buses had stopped or were infrequent and Wythie is not somewhere to be caught without transport at night!!

Now I'm just a gadget freak!! Unfortunately my kids are also catching the bug....My OH is a Luddite by comparison, but he loves his Kindle!

dina1965

Should I just be glad they take an interest ? just got off the phone with my son's class coordinator. she "felt" she "had" to call. She walked into the classroom today and Ricki was showing his bruises to a classmate. "are you aware of them ?". I said "yes, he got them Saturday playing rugby". She then continued with "There are several bruises. If this continues I'll have to report it to the Preside () parents today should be more aware of what their children do, one thing leads to another (), too much television (), absent fathers ()". I kept calm and tried to explain that both OH and I were watching the game, bruises happen etc etc, but she just continued. In the end I just told to report it to the Preside if that's what she feels she has to do. Will I end up with social workers knocking on my door ? do social workers exist here ?

TestaRossa

Antonia is covered in bruises on her legs, and her arms - she's always falling off something, into something or over something! Or she gets knocked over by another kid etc. One on her knee is black but no-one has said anything to us. She's bashed her face a few times too - her favourite trick to start the summer hols for the last two years has been to break her nose!! Again, no comments.....Sounds like an interfering busy body to me...Maybe you should speak to the Preside about having your parenting skills questioned..

Patty

Hmm Dina - I dont think I'd like the insinuations she's making. I would be tempted to go in with my husband and confront her before she gets any other daft ideas. Or as Testa says - you go to the Preside and complain about her.

indiebird

Dina, she sounds like a jobsworth looking for drama if you ask me! I would head her off and go to the Preside youerself and explain you don't like the insinuations she's making and that your boy plays rugby... if she got the wrong person here she would get a smack in the gob!! Must admit that I took my kids to a friend's birthday party on Saturday and there was a mother there who I've had a run in before when she pulled her car over when I was walking to school to tell me that she didn't like her little darling sitting next to my son who was nicking all her sweets and borrowing all her stationary and could I not afford to buy my son stationary and sweets? I went straight to the school and asked the teachers if there was a problem I should be aware of and the teachers said no and went beserk on her and she was forced to apologise. Saturday was just horrible. Her daughter is lovely but her son is a little shite (much worse than my child -at least I can see my son's faults and speak to him about them.) and she spent most of the party running down all the 'bad kids' the presida has dared to put in her daughter's class at the media and even referred to my son as a 'bastardo' in a stage whisper to another mum I don't know. I presume it means the same thing here as it does at home. It really gets me down, but seeing as my friend is accepting of us unconditionally I don't want to ruin it all by getting into a screaming match with this other woman at her house at a child's party. I came home feeling very depressed though.....

lynnxa

we played lacrosse!

Patty

Indie I'm sure that most of the other mums can see her for what she is - a nasty and spiteful person. As her children are being brought up by her then they are going to inherit some of her traits - nothing anyone can do. You on the other hand have dealt with so much in the last year that you are a stronger person and so you know that she is not worth a second thought. She is rude, ignorant and highly offensive. You did right not to have a shouting match. I strongly believe that what goes around comes around and you must too By keeping your dignity you no doubt showed who the better person was. It must be hard though - I know here in my small village there are some people like this -you will always find them. She was very wrong to call your son that name though.
(the fact that the teachers went beserk on her...doesnt that make you think that maybe they know of her ?? or maybe have already sussed her out as a troublemaker )

Lorna at Vicenza

That busybody should have stopped talking as soon as you said "yes I know he has bruises, he plays rugby." She had a perfectly good reason as to why your son has bruises and should have shut her mouth there and then.

Sorry to hear about this Indie. She sounds like a nightmare mother. I think you were very very good not to scream at her. I would probably have told her that if there was a "bastardo" in the room then it was very own son.