Teacher's Pet wrote: Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:14 pm
Teacher's Pet wrote: Tue Feb 14, 2023 12:14 pm
jimmy spako wrote:
I just got a letter that my little dude, who starts first grade in September, made it into the public bilingual (German/English) school program we applied for here last fall.
I am extremely happy and relieved.
Congratulations! I know that feeling of relief. It's important to take a minute to feel the good news, and appreciate it, when it does happen...
It's been (gosh) ten years since my daughter got in to the school we'd hoped for, now there's another milestone right around the corner: we find out about high school acceptance next month. NYC high schools are kind of a mini-university process involving tests, tours, auditions, essays, rankings, etc. Kind of wild for a 13-year old.
Update: She kicked ass! Got into two top-choice schools. Choosing will be the hard part. Great problem to have. Phew.
jimmy spako wrote:
I am extremely happy and relieved.
fuggin A
Way to go! Congrats to your daughter (and fam).
We are lucky in that our particular path (the public "State Europe-Schools of Berlin") guarantees us a spot down the line in an SESB junior high/high school (college prep) program. So there's some chance we won't ever have to sweat it out later on if this path turns out to be the right one up through the 13th grade here. We'll see.
For me, this milestone means I managed to get my kid to be bilingual through the first six years on my own (with the support of my native-German-speaking partner). Pre-school wasn't bilingual and I don't have family here, or any close contact to native English speakers, just peripherally, friends without kids that I don't see often etc. Had to stick it out through years of talking to him in English and him only answering in German, was reluctantly the default "boundaries/rules" parent and chose pragmatically to do most of that in German so that it would really register (which worked), lots of ups and downs. But we made it! It is a huge relief for me to know that I will have a whole community to take over from me in that regard now. And he is excited, he really likes using English and has always said that he'd like to speak both languages at school. Hip hip, still really sinking in here.
Best of luck to you and yours in the homestretch too, FM eephus/TM!