Grace's new kindergarten

Grace "graduates" from kindergarten in a couple of weeks. In Switzerland, children attend two years of kindergarten so she technically is graduating from what's referred to as KIGI-1. Up until now, we have had Grace enrolled in a private Montessori school for the last year but this fall she will move to a public local school. I am a little lot nervous about this change. I take German classes weekly but I still do not know enough to communicate with others easily unless someone wants to know the time or how much something costs. At the public schools, only German is spoken. All correspondence to parents etc. will be in Hochdeutsch. I see a baptism by fire in my near future.

To help with Grace's transition, she will be given (free) German language courses at her school until she is up to speed with the rest of the kids. Lucky girl, I say. She will also come home every day for lunch! Did I mention ALL of the elementary school children walk or bike home by themselves or in groups when it's time for lunch or time to go home for the day? Finally, after a year, I am accustomed to seeing little ones walking home alone but it took close to a year before this didn't seem too dangerous or just wrong. I would also have more reservations if I didn't live right across the street from the school.

Here are a few pics of Grace's new classroom. We visited yesterday and she loved it. We loved it.