With less that 3 weeks until the end of school and in fact the end of an era for Grand Master D, he graduates middle school and in September when school starts again, he’ll be in high school. Of course this has been foreign to us because we don’t do middle school in OZ, although they have started it in some states in recent years. So starting high school in 9th grade will make it go faster I guess.
Miss Gremlin will choose her middle school soon, which will be less daunting because at least we’ve done the crazy New York process before. But of course, different kid, different academic requirements, so maybe it will be just the same… Ack!
In Oz you go to primary school from kindergarten through 6th grade, then head off to high school from 7-12. I don’t mind the middle school/junior high idea though because being a little kid in a sea of huge high schoolers is pretty intimidating, or at least it was for me, so separating the younger ones from the 17 year olds is a great idea and helps to alleviate bullying to a degree.
Grand Master D will ride public transport to and from school each day, which is also a new experience for all of us. His school is 40 minutes away by subway and requires 2 different trains. Long gone are the days of driving or walking the kids to school. In a couple of years Miss Gremlin will probably be subwaying to school too. This city living is so different.
But first we have to get through graduations and award ceremonies and end of year field trips and activities and orientation for incoming high school freshmen.
Freshmen, it’s a funny word but it describes them aptly. They are fresh men on campus! It’s all new but I know he’ll do great, and from what I’ve heard it’s actually a little less stressful than middle school.
Although that remains to be seen.