Snapshot of Elementary School in Israel
I want to start by talking about swim instruction.
In America, we teach freestyle first, and that's what most people swim in a pool. In Israel, they teach breaststroke first. And that's what most people swim. Okay, that's all I have to say about that.
I like breaststroke better. My Israeli blood.
Now, let's talk about school.
So Matan's take on it was that he would actually like it better if he were settled in. I think for Matan, it's more "interesting" here and he likes walking to school. Sivan's is very up and down. She LOVES her friends, but dislikes school. It's very very very loud and teachers yell more here above the yelling kids. For a sensory sensitive kid, it's a bit rough. I tell my kids, you are here for two reasons:
1. learn hebrew.
2. make friends.
School in general is less structured (it seems). The kids get more recess, the class sizes are on average larger, and it's way louder. In fourth grade, you have many teachers come in--specialists in math, science, robotics, english. So, it's almost more like middle school with different teachers, but they come to you.
School is 6 days a week. This is a brutal adjustment to us. It is shorter days though and the ending time varies on the day. Friday, for example, ends at 11:45 am. And Sunday ends at 220 for Sivan but 1:30 for Matan. Only two days a week do they end at the same time.
There is no lunch, but instead a late morning meal (you pack a sandwich, fruit, veggie). Yesterday, I bucked the trend and put pasta with eggplant/tomato in Sivan's lunch. She loved it, but said, she literally had a crowd of people around her desk fascinated, because they ONLY bring sandwiches to lunch.
There are "periods" and there is a bell for recesses and beginning and end of day.
You buy your own textbooks here and school supplies.
Kids are more free here--they leave when school's over. No one checks if they got picked up by their parent. Also every kid in Sivan's class has a smartphone. They have a whole chatgroup where they can ask each other questions (what notebook do we bring tomorrow) or send 9 year old selfies :)
So far, school is only a social thing for sivan and useless, if not frustrating, otherwise. We hope she'll get some hebrew help hours soon. In one week, Sivan has had 3 playdates so far. So, the social thing is extremely important. For Matan, the 1st grade curriculum is very much like kindergarten, but with more science (taught by a science teacher). So, for him, he's learning fine motor skills, to read, etc. At his level except the conversation/comprehension part.
In America, we teach freestyle first, and that's what most people swim in a pool. In Israel, they teach breaststroke first. And that's what most people swim. Okay, that's all I have to say about that.
I like breaststroke better. My Israeli blood.
Now, let's talk about school.
So Matan's take on it was that he would actually like it better if he were settled in. I think for Matan, it's more "interesting" here and he likes walking to school. Sivan's is very up and down. She LOVES her friends, but dislikes school. It's very very very loud and teachers yell more here above the yelling kids. For a sensory sensitive kid, it's a bit rough. I tell my kids, you are here for two reasons:
1. learn hebrew.
2. make friends.
School in general is less structured (it seems). The kids get more recess, the class sizes are on average larger, and it's way louder. In fourth grade, you have many teachers come in--specialists in math, science, robotics, english. So, it's almost more like middle school with different teachers, but they come to you.
School is 6 days a week. This is a brutal adjustment to us. It is shorter days though and the ending time varies on the day. Friday, for example, ends at 11:45 am. And Sunday ends at 220 for Sivan but 1:30 for Matan. Only two days a week do they end at the same time.
There is no lunch, but instead a late morning meal (you pack a sandwich, fruit, veggie). Yesterday, I bucked the trend and put pasta with eggplant/tomato in Sivan's lunch. She loved it, but said, she literally had a crowd of people around her desk fascinated, because they ONLY bring sandwiches to lunch.
There are "periods" and there is a bell for recesses and beginning and end of day.
You buy your own textbooks here and school supplies.
Kids are more free here--they leave when school's over. No one checks if they got picked up by their parent. Also every kid in Sivan's class has a smartphone. They have a whole chatgroup where they can ask each other questions (what notebook do we bring tomorrow) or send 9 year old selfies :)
So far, school is only a social thing for sivan and useless, if not frustrating, otherwise. We hope she'll get some hebrew help hours soon. In one week, Sivan has had 3 playdates so far. So, the social thing is extremely important. For Matan, the 1st grade curriculum is very much like kindergarten, but with more science (taught by a science teacher). So, for him, he's learning fine motor skills, to read, etc. At his level except the conversation/comprehension part.
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