Soccer and Meet the Teacher

Alex's friend Samuel plays soccer on a team and the coach said it was fine to have Alex out to try it. The entire season is from April to the end of September, with a break in the summer, so it is almost the end of the season, but Alex enjoyed the practice, so he may just keep practicing and wait until April to join next year. 

He wasn't too confident at the beginning when they were practicing individual drills because it was all new to him and everyone else knew what was going on, but when they scrimmaged, they asked him if he would mind playing center, they said its lots of running because you can be everywhere in that position, but Alex said that was fine. He did great and often you could hear the boys switch to English and say "Good Alex" (they kind of pronounce his name with an accent like Aleeks). Alex said they were all so nice to him and so far all the kids have been super nice!

Here are Alex and Samuel running off for water. Samuel rides his bike to practice alone usually but came by and picked Alex up. We drove over after a while to check it out, but they rode home together after too. There is a nice bike/walking trail that makes the 7 minute car ride about 10 minutes by bike by cutting behind houses so its easy for kids to get to their practices by bike. 

Here is Ben on the sidelines practicing the rainbow:)

We hear basketball starts a couple weeks after school begins, so Alex is anxiously awaiting that! I even hear there is an American coach:)

Today we had an appointment to meet the school teachers and have a look around so the kids know where to go on the first day of school next week. It was very helpful and fun. 

Here is a partial view of the school. They will have hot nutritious meals provided daily and I hear they are very good. 

They got to meet their teachers and luckily since there were no other kids around I could sneak a picture of them with their teachers and not embarrass them too much!

Ben with his third grade teacher, Lena. (They call their teachers by their first names:))

Alex with his teacher Kristina. She told us they were planning a "hike" soon. It turns out that means a two day hiking/camping trip with the class. Fun!!!

There are only two classes per grade, and Alex really wanted to be in Samuel's class but he is in the other class. I think it is because he is with another student learning Swedish from China and they will be pulled from class at the same time.

It sounds like both boys will have about 1hour and 15 minutes/day learning Swedish and during this time they will get help with all their subjects they are working on in class. 

They say there is 2 sessions 1 hour long each of PE a week, but the teachers usually take them on walks during the week as well. Also two recesses, and when I asked what time school starts, they said usually 8:00. They explained that if they have special events such as sports planned outdoors for the class they might plan on meeting later. (Strange to me but sounds flexible). 

I think the kids will find it easy to slowly integrate because the teachers will explain things to them in English at first it sounds like. 

They handed me my own copy of a yearbook from last year and here is a pic of Ben's class. They stay together each year and usually you keep the same teacher for three years in a row. 

Here is a pic of Alex's new class...

Also, the headmaster (principal) gave us an address book of the entire school so it gives the address and phone number of every student in each class. I thought this was also interesting. 

I asked what the boys will need for the first day of school in terms of supplies and they said nothing. They supply everything needed for school from paper to pencils! That saves me since I usually spend about $40-$50 per child each year on class supplies lists. 

I will be sure to post more about their school after their first day!