The City, The School, and How We're Getting Along

Do you think it's bad that I eat bread and chocolate for lunch most days? Seems very European, right!? We continue to settle into our life and routine here, with few problems so far. Scott can't get over how busy I've been. I joined the American Women's Club and that was one morning get-together, multiple coffee meetings at the school, plus I've had 2 lunch dates, coffee at another mom's house, one shopping date and two more to come. You meet and connect with people very quickly here, which is typically out of my comfort zone, but I'm adapting and really enjoying myself. I've started German language lessons - twice a week for 90 minutes, and I'm already gaining confidence in my pronunciation. The boys and I teach each other the different words we're learning, and whenever there's an opportunity to count something we try to do it in German (we're all up to 19).

I really like the city of Dusseldorf, though I've been told it's not even that pretty as compared to other German towns. We live in the Kaiserwerth section of Dusseldorf, and I love that it is so green, with lots of trees and open fields (thanks to the frequent rain) and there are wonderful bike paths all over. Kaiserwerth's town center takes about 10 minutes to ride to on bike, and it's just what you might think of a small European village - cobblestone streets with bakeries, fruit stalls, and cute outdoor cafes. Then, in just a 15 minute car or train ride, you're in the heart of the bustling downtown area, with tons of restaurants, department stores, small boutiques, and an upscale street with stores like Tiffany and Prada. I like having the best of both worlds so nearby.

The boys' school continues to impress our whole family. Don't get me wrong, I loved our public school in Pinckney (and will happily go back after our assignment) and thought they had excellent teachers and the boys were getting a great education there, but a lot of things are just different about being in an International school. They are on a 9 day rotating cycle for their "special" classes so every 9 days they will have Art 3 times, Music 3 times, PE 3-4 times, German every day, Ethan has Computers 2 times, and Griffin has Drama 1 time. They are also on a PYP (Primary Years Program) curriculum, which is common in International schools so kids that transfer frequently around the world will have a common teaching style. There's a lot still I have to learn about the program, but at it's heart it is Inquiry Based. This means that each grade will have 6 Units of Inquiry per year they are focused on, with every subject somehow related. Right now Ethan's is Water and Griffin's is Play. A silly, made up example of how this might work could be a Unit of Inquiry about Chocolate. So math may involve dividing up a chocolate bar and learning about fractions; science may look at melting points of chocolate and it's ingredients; social studies may look at the cultural & historical importance of chocolate; and reading may involve studying the book Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. As the year progresses I'll see more how this really works.

I think Ethan will post soon telling you about our very American day trip to an amusement park last weekend, but we are planning to get to Amsterdam and Paris by the end of October!