Day 14
Went to the school (Oreston Community Academy) closest to our new home and applied for admission.* They are saying the kids will start as Year 2 and Year 6 which worries me since in the states they should be in 1st and 5th grade. The system works differently here and there isn't the flexibility we have back home for placing kids in different grades. So, I am hoping it all works out and they don't end up in classes that are above their level.
*Just because this school is closest to our home doesn't mean we will get in. There is no requirement to place children close to your home. If the schools near you are full, the kids could be assigned to a school on the other side of town. There is also the possibility that they could be assigned to 2 different schools depending on the availability at the schools.
After that Ron had to go to work. So, that left me to drive. Yikes!! I managed to get us to Drake Circus (shopping mall) after I got lost trying to find a pharmacy. Lucky for me there is a pharmacy at the mall. And I got us home without incident. Yay me!!
Day 15
We checked out a local home & garden store. Then had lunch at Bella Italia, which was really good Italian food. Afterwards we let the kids play some games at an arcade, although it is much more expensive here. At first you don't realize the cost different, but once you convert it back to dollars you see it. Currently it is $1.30 for £1.00. Most of the games were over £1.00 to play, so we didn't stay long.
The management company that performs the reference checks for our landlady called and said we cleared all the checks. So, now it is just a matter of signing the lease and paying the deposit. One step closer to having a house.
Hi Tami, Just in case no one had yet told you, you needn't worry about the placement differences. In the UK, kindergarten is not a separate grade, so that is why your little one that would be in 1st grade in the states is in year 2 here.
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