Since starting German Immersion school last week, Benson has been waking up each morning saying some interesting things...
----------------
(On day 2) "What??? I have school again? But I already went to school!"
----------------
BENSON: Let's ride to school in the auto instead of walking.
ME: What's an alto?
BENSON: AUTO! It's German for car. And we need to leave our haus.
ME: House?
BENSON: Haus.
----------------
"I go to German school and speak German.
Marshall goes to preschool and speaks Pre."
----------------
BENSON: I'm so sorry I can't go to school today, but I'm sick. I need a thermometer.
ME: Okay... (rustle up a thermometer)... let's see... 97.9 degrees.
BENSON: Does that mean I'm sick?
ME: Nope! Great news! You can still go to school today!
----------------
BENSON (with a shaky voice): I'll miss you Mom, during my 6th day of school.
ME: 6 down, 5 million to go.
----------------
Here's Benson with his K4 teacher, Frau Savignac.
Anyway, the first week of K4 was basically, you know... well, horrible. Day 1 was awesome, but days 2-5 were a wreck. Benson's anxieties had nothing to do with his teacher speaking a foreign language, which is too bad because I had already prepared a very wise pep talk on that topic.
It turns out-- Benson's issue was that he didn't have any friends and felt lonely. He baffled us when he said the worst part of his day was recess. He said he didn't know where to go or who to play with. There were so many big kids running around everywhere, so he just stood by himself next to the building until the bell rang. I can totally picture it, and it broke my heart.
It turns out-- Benson's issue was that he didn't have any friends and felt lonely. He baffled us when he said the worst part of his day was recess. He said he didn't know where to go or who to play with. There were so many big kids running around everywhere, so he just stood by himself next to the building until the bell rang. I can totally picture it, and it broke my heart.
After a rough first week though, things finally started looking up. Benson comes home every day very excited and talks a mile a minute. He sings me German songs, shows me his fancy crafts, summarizes a funny German movie he's watching, and tells me about new books he's reading.
Most importantly though, Benson told me that he found a few friends. I don't know who Jason, Lucy, Max, and Gisela are, but God bless them!
That's the daily schedule on the right, whatever it all means...
These are the classroom rules. John and I figured out most of them.
So I don't think (anymore) that Benson will be the youngest school dropout in history. I think he's actually going to stick with this. Gut!
11 comments:
Oh, poor Benson! Sorry it's been rough, but at least it's looking up!!!!! Isn't it fun to hear those random foreign words get sprinkled into conversation? We keep asking Isabel what Spanish words she is learning, and she always says, "None! I don't know!" and then she'll randomly sprinkle them into conversation, so it gives us hope that it's getting planted in there. :)
I love it! Hopefully he won't do what some kids do and start refusing to speak his "home" language. Then you would really be in trouble. (I'm kidding, I'm pretty sure that doesn't happen just from preschool). I'm glad Benson has made some friends; it is the worst to see your child unhappy. Good luck.
What a blessing to learn a second language in such an environment! It always kind of irks me when people get really virulent and hateful about how they think English should be the only language of the US. I think the answer is to teach more Spanish AND English so that everyone is bilingual and well educated.
Because this is totally related to your post.... sorry.
Good for Benson for hanging in there! No friends can be pretty lonely. Now he has new friends and is learning another language and all that "pre" stuff:)
Wow--that is an amazing school. Glad things are looking up for Benson!
Oh dear! The recess thing makes me so sad too!
I'm so glad things are looking up. If I knew how to say congrats to all of you in German, I would!
Es freue mich sehr das Benson und ich zuzammen sprechen konnen und du nicht verstehen konnen.
oops--that last konnen should be kann. I think:)
Ahh, I completely agree, RoseAnn.
Oh boy! This is awesome..I have absolutely no doubt that Benson will be doing fabulously very quickly with tons of great friends. He is a brilliant, sweet boy (because he takes after his parents). Sounds like you guys have been very busy lately,,, hope all is well. We miss you guys.
oh sweet benson. i love his sayings! hilarious! well good thing he's starting to enjoy school. STAY IN SCHOOL!
Post a Comment