First day of school today-

[Oscar]

Well, today was my fiance's son's first day of school in America.  He has just turned 7 and is in the first grade.  He had just started school in Ukraine last September.

They asked for his immunization record and his birth certificate.  They seemed pleasantly surprised when I gave them translated copies along with the originals.

They said that although many of their teachers are working on ESL certification, they don't have anything formal yet but that kids at this age are just mainstreamed and pretty much up to speed in about 2 months.

Since this boy has been here, not one outbust, not one fit of temper.  He has been amazingly well behaved and sociable.  It's pretty apparent that she has done an extrordinary job rasing him thus far.  
I told him that he might be a little frustrated in class for the first little while because he doesn't speak much English.  He said he understood and that it was fine.  Picked him up from school and the teacher said that she wasn't at all worried, that he was very well behaved and from her observations, quite bright (don't they say that to ALL the parents?  LOL!).
Anyway, he said it was fine, (nyet problema.. ;-)  He was amazingly cool about it.  I think I would have been freaking out in his position!

Couldn't have gone better I guess..

[anzo]

... in response to First day of school today-, posted by Oscar on Jan 2, 2003

When my stepdaughter arrived 8 years ago, she spoke no English. 6 weeks later she was enrolled with all the other kids and had ESL. By Christmas, she was communicating in English just fine. But...now at 16 she speaks almost 0 Russian. Actually, after being in the US for a couple of months, she refused to speak Russian anymore-I always felt that in her mind she was burning some bridges (not wanting to return to Russia). Her mother and I deeply regret the loss of her native language. What with TV, school and English speaking friends it is too easy to do. Keep them speaking Russian/Ukrainian at home!
Anzo

[Charles]

... in response to First day of school today-, posted by Oscar on Jan 2, 2003

Sounds great, Oscar.  Your stepson should rapidly adjust and really enjoy himself.  Generally, my observation is that learning English isn't a big problem for the children.  My wife teaches art to children of mostly totally Russian parents and the children speak great English between themselves while the parents can barely get by.  If anything, some parents have to send their children to Russian school so they won't forget Russian.  Certainly if you bring over a wife with children you must be concerned about the adjustment process for the children.  Based on what we observe in our large Russian community, the younger the children, the better their adjustment to school and life in America.  Teenagers are a much more difficult challenge, but that's true in any case.

[Stevo]

... in response to Re: First day of school today-, posted by Charles on Jan 3, 2003

but she does understand it pretty well.  Her babushka can barely comprehend what she's is saying on the phone...not good.  She was 5 when she got here and started KG in January.  Now she's 8 and in 3rd grade.  Interestingly, she quickly caught up to the others in her class (6  months or so), and continued to improve, but now has seemed to have plateaued.

[Apk1]

... in response to My daughter can barely speak Russian any..., posted by Stevo on Jan 3, 2003

About the same for my stepson...

He arrived with no English ability, after 4 months he was caught up.

His is now reading and spelling well but the English language rules....verbs, adverbs...he does not get. His reading and comprehension is very good, but he cannot put his thoughts on paper at all.

Math wise he was already a head of the rest of his peers when he arrived...but now he is finding it harder.

[Quasimoto]

... in response to First day of school today-, posted by Oscar on Jan 2, 2003

Good to hear it Oscar! I think about you guys every day, and my best wishes are with ya! This is a topic I have wondered about a lot. You put me at ease.

Steve

[MarkInTx]

... in response to First day of school today-, posted by Oscar on Jan 2, 2003

Our kids are off until Jan 7th.

My step son had his first day a few weeks ago.

He loved it. Couldn't believe that he didn't have to wear a uniform!

He is challenged by the English, of course... But he follows it, OK. He had private English lessons for about six months. I had both Victoria and Stas go to a tutor three times a week after we got engaged... so he spent last summer learning English.

It helped tremendously. Stas didn't study as dilligently as Victoria did, but he did study... I think he wishes now that he had worked at it harder.

But he does pretty well, and can follow in school. They have a special ESL program, where they pull him out of class a couple of times a day to help him work on English. And it turns out that a guidance counsellor's husband is from Ukraine, so they have someone who kinda speaks Russian.

He thinks that the math is easy here. I sense he was advanced from where our kids were in both science and math.

But he loves school.

Just today he was asking me when he gets to go back again.

They asked us for immunization records, of course, and a birth certificate. We had all of that fromt he INS/Consulate stuff. Victoria also brought his transcripts, which they appreciated. It helps them evaluate where he should be in terms of classes.

[micha1]

... in response to First day of school today-, posted by Oscar on Jan 2, 2003

Lucky you,  as for here, my sisterhad a boy from Chernobyl
for a year, he was place in the 9th grade in september,
did't speak much french.  By X-Mas time, he was first in his
class and spoke the language perfectly.
There is something there.