School starts

     During our first week here, we got to visit the classrooms the boys would be in.   Aidan was in the baby(preschool) classes, so he was on the ground floor.  Wensen & Ethan were in the oldest kindergarten so they were on the 3rd floor.  I was afraid the rooms would be small and only desks.  But there was artwork all over the walls(this made me feel the best), lots of toys and toys in the classroom.  Not as many books as I'm used to seeing.  There is a play area where they take their shoes off.  And storage bins for their bedding.  Each classroom has their own bathroom of mini toilets, urinels and sinks.
     The week before school I was told there is a meeting with the teacher.  I thought it was a 1 on 1 meeting, since I was told to prepare a list of the boys likes and dislikes.  No, it was a one and a half hour presentation in the gym on child sized chairs.  I had prepared a list of questions and told them to my mother-in-law who accompanied me.  She told me they answered all my questions, but didn't give me the answers.  What she did relay was the school telling us to have the children get themselves dressed, carry their own backpack, go to sleep and get up at the same time.  Duh.  And the force feeding demonstration I understood.  The speaker, teacher/principal, told us all the decorations we see where made by students and not to praise the child too much.
-How do the meals work?  Do they need to eat it all?  Can they finish if they run out of time?
-What level smog do the kids stay in?  When do they check the smog level?
-How do they handle discipline?
-When do they wear the uniforms?
-If they can't sleep, do they need to stay on their mats?  What is the alternative?
     Thankfully she requested for me to speak to the foreign teacher(he's from Michigan!).  So I asked my list.  Now he was not at the meeting, so I asked if we walk the students to their classes and where to pick them up.  Drop off and pick up is at the door, parents aren't allowed in school.  So how are we supposed to see the kids artwork, since they told us everything we see is made by the kids.  He told me a secret and said not to tell the speaker, "The teachers make all the artwork we see.  Image."  Oh.  So do they do art?  Yes, they send that home.  They do force them to eat.  My kids will puke.  They would stop if they puke.  They don't hit the kids.  Thank God!  They ask them to take a "time out" in the coat room, not very long I'm assured.  He stated they can't control one kid and he runs all over the school.  Sometimes the kids go out, sometimes they stay in.  They don't tell the foreign teachers a lot(his words, not mine).  He's not in the room at nap time.  Uniforms are worn on Mondays.
       So the night before school, Ethan has a low fever.  I don't know if he got himself worked up about going to school, but I'm glad I brought medicine with us.  Wensen woke Ethan up at 4:30, excited about school.  I never heard them, my mother-in-law got them to go back to bed for 2 more hours.  I never heard my alarm go off at 7:30 and when the boys came to wake me up, I told them to go to sleep, since I was staring at a stopped clock at 6:45.  
      The walk to school is about 5 minutes.  Across the street, through an apartment complex and around the corner.  Aidan cried and they carried him away.  The doctor checks their mouths inside the door, if their throat is red, the go home immediately, so they don't infect the whole school.  The school called while we were gone saying Aidan didn't cry very long, but is not drinking any warm water.  (They give warm water even in restaurant, they think it's better for your health.)  Please give him cold.  They don't have refrigeration.
        For pick up time they march the kids out by class, calling them out over a loud speaker.  Then they release them from the front of the line to the back of the line one at a time.  And don't think of trying to take your kid out of order or they will hold on to them, until they are to the front of the line.  The boys talked about school the whole way home.  When I asked what their favorite part was
Wensen said food, they had pasta in ketchup.  Yuck!  Ethan said karate school. This didn't happen. So I asked if he had to sit in the coat closet.  Wensen said no, they behaved and listened to the teacher, but she had to tell Ethan to be quiet during nap.  Aidan said the dinosaur candy.  This also did not happen.
      So my in-laws say the school checks the smog forecast on the news the night before, but don't know what level they use.  Everyday they send home a form book with a check list of how their day was, did they eat good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, water, how was their mood, did they have to change clothes and why and a comment section.  I e-mail to my husband and he interprets it for me.  My mother-in-law thinks we always have to write something like "they studied the (Chinese) word...."  I think if there are no questions on either end, I acknowledge I read it.  Initial it.
      So we've had 3 days of school.  Today I had to wake the boys at 7:30.  Aidan still crying when he's dropped off.  But it's day 3, I realize this can take at least 2 weeks to get used to.  I have to call back Ethan and Wensen for a kiss as they are running into the building.  So excited to be there.  They are at school 8-5pm.  They sent home a flyer of after school activities for 1 day, 1 hour only for a fee of at least $150 USD.  Are you crazy?

                                                                      First day of school!
           

                                                              Monday is uniform day