Sussing out the School Situation

So, Monday, school was finally in session again after their three week break. So I made a bunch of phone calls that morning to try and get Ethan's school sorted out. Several phone calls later, I made some key discoveries:

1. "Nursery" is more like childcare (like I was thinking it might be).

2. But, two schools have a "Nursery School", which is 3hrs/day (either morning or afternoon session) and taught by a licensed teacher, that is not private but part of the Borough of Poole. This seems more like the preschool that Ethan was attending in the U.S. Old Town and Twin Sails are the two schools that offer this--which also happen to be the two schools I wanted to look at for Reception (starting in the fall that we need to apply for ASAP since the deadline has already passed). This would be handy for meeting kids and then continuing on to Reception with them. 

3. Unfortunately, both of those schools are already full for Reception (although I guess we'd be moved towards the top of the wait list for Old Town, since we are in that Catchment area). But, things change and hopefully a spot would open up. 

4. Twin Sails (0.8mi. Walk) has some open spots in their afternoon Nursery School (12:30-3:30) but the time is not the best for us (Ethan still takes a nap from like 2-4 and it would be awkward regardless because we'd have to leave to go get Ethan from preschool right in the middle of Hailey's nap). I was really impressed with the teacher and the school program, though. We toured it this (Tues.) afternoon. We could adjust and try to make it work, if need be.

5. Old Town (0.6mi. Walk) has openings in their Nursery School (had to call a separate Admissions place) but I am awaiting a call back to find out if there are openings in morning or afternoon or both and when we can come tour the school. Fingers crossed they have a morning spot. 

6. Apparently Reception starts off the first few weeks as a shorter session and then they ramp up to full day (8:45am-3pm). Gosh, I don't know if Ethan will be ready for that by Sept. Depending on how things go, I may check with Admissions and see if I can keep him in Nursery School (since we will probably only be here until Christmas and he will not yet be 5).

7. They wear cute little school uniforms here (I guess it is optional at Nursery School but they have to for Reception on up. But, all the kids at Nursery School seemed to be in uniform and the teacher said that kids usually want to because everyone else at school is wearing a uniform.) Boys get a yellow polo, navy sweater and pants. Girls had blue or yellow dresses.

Here was how Ethan and Hailey kept occupied while I made calls:

Excited to see each other after naps (they are little buddies lately):

Anyhow, hopefully one of those Two Nursery Schools (and possibly Reception) will work out. We went back to the Tuesday play group at the Poole Baptist Church and this lady I was talking to said that both Twin Sails and Old Town were great schools (both her and her mother that was also there, attended Old Town and her kids attend Twin Sails. She said she would have sent her youngest to Old Town but it was closer to where the older siblings go to school so she can pick them all up, and is also a good school.)

I am so impressed with this play group-it is so well organized and well-run. Tons of toys to play with. Ethan totally took to the  train set:

And Hailey is multi-tasking here:

She was seriously on-edge. Another kid playing with a toy that she thought was cool would throw her into a screaming fit. (Heaven forbid if some kid took a turn on the car that she was no longer using but had used earlier.) And then she threw a fit  because she wanted to climb up the slide (she was actually doing an impressive job at it) but it was discouraged and she was told she had to go up the ladder. Tantrum central. Everyone staring at me. Ha, don't English kids have the occasional tantrum? :) One of the ladies running the playgroup asked how old she was and then said she was (what's the word?) "forthright" for her age. Ha, because of her brute strength and determination to go up the slide or because of her little temper tantrum? Another organizer came over and offered to watch Ethan if I wanted to take her on a little walk and calm her down. I hesitated but then took her up on it. Ethan was doing well and seemed fine when I told him I'd take Hailey and be back in a bit (he was engrossed in the trains). It was totally apparent that Hailey needed a nap (she is in this weird inbetween stage where she takes two naps about every other day and just one nap on the other days. So I never know--until behavior like this makes it clear.) :) So I took her for a short walk, got some coffee, put her hat on a little over her eyes but she was stubbornly refusing to nap (when these things usually put her right out). I finally put on the White noise app and moved the stroller back and forth and she relented. Finally, I could go hang out with Ethan (he was happily singing songs and shaking the maracas when I came back) and sit and have a conversation with the other moms. Need to make friends and get the scoop on the schools and Hailey wasn't helping me out. Ethan was really well behaved today, I was proud of how he handled some things. Ha, there was this little girl that kept tackling him (literally) and kissing him all over. She also bowled him over in a not nice way as well and was being really rough on the toys and her mom didn't seem to be doing anything. One of the organizers would get after her every now and then.

Some random pics:

Hailey eating Nutella crepes last night (later she had smeared it all over her forehead as well):

Old building by our house (1547):

Here are the kids playing on the school lawn after our tour (Ethan wanted to have a picnic but we had already eaten so he settled for reading on the lawn):