First day at scuola

This is Emma on the first day of school and her school. The middle school and elementary school are connected by a hallway and share a lunchroom. They are doing some construction to Emma's school right now as you might be able to see in the front.

This is Lizzie on her first day and her school building.

This is across the street from the girls school in the parking lot. Liz is wearing her grembuile.

Ok, I'm technically writing this way after the first day, but we've been malto busy..... I've had a couple of false starts with this post!!
So, we're now into the third full week of school for the girls. The first week and a half they both had half days, six days a week. That was great, because full days might have killed us all. Liz is now on full days, Emma is still on half. Her full days will start this week.

Ok-ways that Italian school is different:

1. They speak Italian......The girls are rapidly picking it up and once again I'm astounded at how many Italians speak very good English. Emma is also taking German as one of her usual classes.
2. The schedules are different every day. Liz has 3 full and 2 half days, Emma has 2 full and three half.
3. Liz wears a grembuile to school each day. This is a black smock that the children wear to protect their clothing and works as a uniform of sorts.
4. Emma's class stays put, and the teachers rotate in and out of their classes instead of the other way around.
5. The lunches are 2 course, sit down, one hour affairs. According to Liz it's fancier than the restaurants we go to. I'm jealous.
6. The children also have one to two breaks per day. It's a time to have snacks and just rest. How civilized is that?
7. The children only occasionally have homework. If they do it's on the half days.
8. Classes are very small. Liz has 12 children in her class with 2 full time teachers. Emma has around 14 children in her class.
9. During the winter they will take a week or two where they will have "school" in the mountains, skiing etc. I'm hoping they need parent "helpers" this week.
10.The kids are also occasionally riding the bus to and from school. (All sorts of firsts for the James girls). Kids are not allowed to leave school or the bus stop unless a parent is there to pick them up. No latchkey kids in Italy!

Overall the girls are enjoying school, which makes all of our lives a little (lot) easier.