ducatiandy

We(my wife, 2 kids 4&6) are hopefull moving to California on a E2 visa initially and was wondering what happens about schooling as we are on the E2. Do we have to subsidise it or will we just be part of the system?

Or are there any other restrictions that we need to know about?

Scarlett-Dallas

You just go in and sign 'em up. Even people who are here illegally are allowed to do that. Keeping them out of school - now THAT might cause you a problem.

Regards
-=-
Scarlett

ducatiandy

Brilliant! Thaks Scarlett I am sure my wife wouldn't want to keep them off school you know quality time on your own an all. 2 sceaming kids fighting etc.

AmerLisa

You might want to know as well that most kids don't start school over here until they are at least 5. In fact in California, if I'm not mistaken, they have to be 5 on or before December 1st of that school year. Also, kindergarden over here (for the 5 year olds) lasts only 2.5 hours a day - morning or afternoon. Not a lot in it, especially if you're used to the British system. Also, your kids may need more immunisations over here, in fact they won't be allowed in the schools until they have them. Unless you exempt them for religious reasons (don't know if you can do it for personal reasons.)
If you know which city you are moving to, you can go to that city's website and then find out the school district and go to their website. It might help with other questions you might have. Good luck

Big Vern

Bring as much course work, teacher assessments and reports, writing/maths/art samples as you can.

My daughter was 5 in March, a couple of months before we oved here, and she'd already done a year of part time pre-school (nursery) and almost a year of full time regular school - known in our bit of Yorkshire as Reception, the year before Year 1.

When we contacted our local elementary in Redmond they immediately said that she would go into the part time kindergarten class - effectively taking her back to what she was doing nearly two years ago - mainly coloring in!! We went to see the principal, she lent us a copy of the state curriculum and standards, and not only had our daughter covered everything in the Kindergarten class but she had done most of the 1st Grade work too.

On our second meeting with the principal we took our daughters course work, on going teacher assessments - her previous school were very keen on it...none of this 'very good 9/10' rubbish, but
proper assessments of how she had tackled the task in hand. We had writing samples, maths work, pictures she had drawn etc. The principle took a good look through this and said she would
have to speak to her boss. She called back the next day and told us that they wanted my daughter to go straight into the first grade.

Of course that brings its own potential drawbacks - she's only just five, and she'll be going into a class of six and possibly seven year olds, which might be fine now but when they're fourteen and she's twelve...well, that's something else entirely.

Luckily the school are very aware of this too, so we and they are going to monitor her progress closely over the first year, and if it doesn't work they (and us) are very amenable to having a rethink.

I guess what I'm trying to say is when you get out here get straight down to the school and get to know the staff. It also helps the kids to get to know them early on, my daughter thinks
the principal is wonderful and can't wait to start school....

rincewind

You're right. Religious reasons only. If you want them exempt because of the crap that's in them, you won't get your kid in school.

If you're not set against jabs, get them up to date else it will be a problem.

ducatiandy

What jabs do we not get here as standard that we will need for over there?

Manc

Chicken Pox and hepititis (cant remember which type) are 2 my kid needed when he changed school districts.

ducatiandy

I don't think they have found a cure for Hep B so it must be the other, chicken pox? I didn't know you could get a jab for that.

rincewind

I'm sure the MMR is part of it too and maybe tetenus.

Best check with the schools first. They'll be able to tell you all that you need then just visit the local health department.

cathy22w

Definitely Hep B. 3 lovely shots. Chickenpox also. I took my son to a children's clinic and got the shots for nothing - was referred there by the school and saved myself a few $$$.

Scarlett-Dallas

There is a Hep B jab but I can't remember what age they have to be for that. You can't get a chickenpox vac in the UK. The kids'll have to have it when they get here - it's also known as varicella.

You definitely need MMR. Most importantly - get a certified copy of your kids' records from your doc because they won't take your word for it.

When you register for school they'll give you a contact for the school nurse, who will want to see all vaccination records and will tell you any you still need to get before your children will be allowed in school.

Hope that helps.

Regards
-=-
Scarlett

ducatiandy

Thank you everyone this is great, not for the kids though that means they need more jabs and they don't like them.

geordiegirl2

you can now get varicella in the uk it's just not part of the immunisation programme

Ben

Don't forget, though, that if your children have already had chicken pox, all you need is a letter from your doctor stating so. chicken pox is also compulsory over here but all of my children have had chicken pox so they didn't need the immunisation. And the immunisation doesn't totally protect you from chicken pox either. There are still plenty of children that catch chicken pox, even though they have had the immunisation. Apparently they say that they don't get any severe cases of chicken pox if they have had the immunisation, only mild cases, but they can still get it.

Also, I don't know about Cal, but here in NJ and NY they give an extra measles compared to the UK. We were able to get around this by having a letter from our UK doctor stating that the children had received enough. It wasn't compulsory in NY, only recommended but in NJ, without this letter, my two younger children wouldn't be allowed into the schools.