Back to School Special

All good things must come to an end; it's not so bad when they're replaced by other good things! Grammie's visit ended Wed. afternoon when we dropped her off at the airport in Puerto Montt, and by 6:30 the next morning Lisa and Berto were up and getting ready for the first day of school! Berto was happy to model his school uniform in formal and silly mode.


The good news is that Berto is very excited about being in primero basico (1st grade), especially because he knows a few things the other kids don't by virtue of spending his afternoons with the 1st graders last fall. Important things such as; where is the boys bathroom, how to take your tray to your table in the cafeteria, how to make a soccer ball out of paper and scotch tape. He's excited to see his friends, he's excited to learn letters and numbers and how to read, he's excited to help Tía Ingrid, the English teacher for the lower grades (K-4), with English lessons, and he's excited that he's able to figure out what's going on in class. (Here he is with Tia Mabel and Tia Veronica) Berto is excited that he has graduated to the formal uniform of trousers and a collared shirt on non-gym days. (Just like the big kids) He goes from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 Mon.–Thurs. and until 2:30 on Fridays.
On Berto's arrival at school he was greeted with the affection that first grade boys reserve for their best friends: he was chased and attacked in a play fight. Colegio Carpe Diem seems to alternate between order and chaos. Kids enter the school through the student door while teachers enter through the teacher door. ninety minute class blocks are punctuated by fifteen minute recreo recess blocks. During recreo Berto's pals run, tackle, wrestle and rough house with abandon. In their quieter moments, Berto and his friends play Cah Chi Boom! the equivalent of rock paper scissors. Who exactly won seems less to matter than the opportunity to flail arms about, pummel one another and then run around the hall.




Did we mention that Berto, Diego, Jose Luis, Benjamin, Cristobal and Hernan like to run around constantly? For the more mature, or quicker out the classroom at the start of recreo, there is taca taca or foozball. Taca taca and table tennis tables are prime real estate during recreo. And if you are too late to get a space at either of those, you can always ball up some paper and get in a quick game of soccer before the bell rings. But once the bell rings, all the primero basicos line up outside the classroom under the guidance of teacher helper Tia Mabel and walk calmly into class.

Meanwhile, Gabi has started in Niveles Medios at Jardín Infantil Jean Piaget, downstairs from her old room. (She should have started Thurs., but Mike was not up on things.) The first day was a little rough at first, but she has hit her stride and likes her new tías. I've never seen a class as chaotic as hers was on Monday, but everyone is starting to get into their routine. Like Berto, Gabi has her school uniform, a delantal. Girls with a red collar, boys with a yellow collar. Being a tad short for her age, Gabi's clothes are well protected from stray paint, glue or juice by her full length delantal.






Mike is looking forward to peaceful mornings again. He's also tackling the project of toilet-training Gabi. She peed in the pot this evening - progress!

Lisa is teaching the kids in 5th grade to 12th grade. The good thing is that most of the kids know her from last year. As well, Lisa has learned that classroom management in Chile is a whole different game than in the USA. Here, the kids may be frisky but they still think it is nice to eat lunch at the same table as your teacher or to send her photos that you take in class. This would be 9th graders modeling their gym class day uniforms.

More adventures later. Chao!