Update on School

The kids have pretty much settled into a routine at school so it's time for an update.

In terms of the physical setting, the classrooms are much like those in the US.  They don't have the latest technologies (e.g. SmartBoards), but the layout, desks, whiteboards, etc., are similar to US classrooms.  The textbooks are mostly paperback (the family buys plastic covers and puts them on) and they are smaller, but have more.  Caleb, for example, has three math texts.

They have the normal classes - math, science, social studies, Czech, Phy-Ed, English, home ec/shop, art.  They only have phy-ed once a week and everyone with whom we have talked has stated their displeasure about it.  There is a push going on to increase the frequency.  All the kids start learning English in 3rd grade (when it makes sense to start learning a language).

The class sizes are large.  As I recall there are over 25 people in each of their classes.

We had told people that the kids would be in school from 8:00 to 4:00 each day.  We were wrong.  The school day goes that late, but the kids' schedules vary.  Usually Lucy is done at 1:00 and Caleb at 2:00, but one day Lucy is home just after noon and another day Caleb is not done until 4:00.  It should be noted that kids walk and use public transportation without fear so they can come and go as needed.

As best I can tell the kids are doing math at a level pretty similar to US schoolkids.  The get more science class time.  It seems to me that the reading is typically at a bit lower level in the textbooks, but it's hard for me to tell.  I was hoping things would be a bit more rigorous.

THE thing that I love about Czech schools is their emphasis on experiential education.  Today there was a flotilla of high school kids canoeing down the Malše River.  Many times you see children out on nature walks with the teachers.  We've talked to high school kids out doing traffic studies.  Caleb's class will be taking a week-long trip to the Krkonoše in January  to go skiing (though Caleb is not planning on going).  Yes, they spend a week teaching the kids to ski so that they can get out in the winter and stay fit.

Many kids are involved in after school activities.  They have no band or orchestra or sports teams at school.  These are all done by private music schools and sports clubs.  The school does host a bunch of before and after school activities such as intramural sports, chess, art, etc.  Lucy is taking a ceramics class and Caleb is taking violin lessons and is in a string orchestra at his music school.

The teachers are much harsher than they are used to.  Teachers sometimes yell (really yell) at kids when they are misbehaving.  Sometimes they'll yank on the kids ears (I had that done to me once...only once) or whack them upside the head.


Lunch is good! Lucy says so. Her favorite lunch is knedliky (dumplings), beef and sauerkraut.

The kids are still popular (i.e. still novel).  Lucy is able to sing Hannah Montana songs with the other girls.  Caleb still has the attention of his female classmates wherever he goes (we thought we'd avoid them at the top of Klet' Mountain, but they found him even there).   

Peter