Tuesday was Sophia's real first day of classes. She did great and does have a few friends in her class, plus she has found other friends that she knows from kindergarten during the class breaks.
Both times I went things seemed a little crazy, but Sophia says the teachers are strict but she likes them. Her table mate is a boy who I know will be trouble, since when I walked up he was pushing his hand against her head. And while we waited for the uniforms to be passed out he continued to aggravate her. I assured Sophia that that is what boys do sometimes. We will not complain the first day, we will give it time. Overall she liked it and remains excited/nervous. Per K's recommendation we are having Sophia go morning and afternoon the first week to get her really acclimated and be more like all of the other students. Next week she will just go in the mornings. We are still trying to tweak and figure out what our whole school/homeschool schedule will look like.
This is her classroom, taken the day before classes started. Her school has a new principle who is instilling new rules and schedule, supposedly. One rule was only fifty students per class, another was 'no bribes' which is a new rule all over China that we kinda laugh at. Her class has 64 students, the other 1st grade classes all have at least that. You decide how well these rules are working...
See the nerves a little? Her backpack got filled with books quick, all needing to be covered and more small notebooks bought for character writing, etc.
Bella, on her second day of DaBan (big class, in kindergarten), did struggle. She was peeled from me, but when I picked her up, she had had a blast. Who knows what she will be like tomorrow.
Tobin, sporting his new back pack did great in spite of wanting to cry. On day one they let the parents go in. Day two, no way. So there was a bottle neck at the door of kids screaming. Screaming. Tobin did not want to go in, and I can't blame him. I looked inside and there were kids playing with toys, but from the outside, pure chaos and mutiny by the three year olds. I finally changed his shoes (they have indoor/outdoor shoes), and got him inside, he gave me the saddest look and walked to go play. I almost cried.
In the morning they received their uniforms. She looks like an official school girl now.
Our school kids. They are so brave and did so well. Let's keep it up.
Over heard in the middle of the day:
Bella: (with tambourine in hand, like they use in kindergarten) Come on Sophia let's play school
Sophia: (real haughty like) at my school they don't use tambourines...
Bella: well, let's pretend you are six years old.
And then I went on to tell Sophia to not give up on all the fun play of little girls just because she is in first grade. Playing school is something they used to do for hours. She assured me she wouldn't grow up.
