Today was Lily's last day of school. Finally, right? But when you get so many weeks of vacation, I guess you have to go to school until the first week of July.
I am beyond proud of this little girl. Six months ago she walked into her new classroom without speaking a word of a French, without knowing a soul in the room. She adjusted to a new schedule (an eight hour school day four days a week), new foods (eating brie nearly every day for lunch), and a new ways of doing things (using a bathroom without any doors or privacy). That's a lot of change for a little four year old.
Her maitresse (primary teacher). Lily told me the other day she said, "Je t'aime" (I love you) to the maitresse.
And this afternoon, as I picked her up for the last time from this little school, I was a little emotional about all she's accomplished. She speaks French now...not perfectly, but well enough that at a playground she has confidence to play and run around with kids. She has real friends at school. Every morning and every evening there are always elaborate waves and giggles as shes says hello and goodbye. She became a little French student at a little French school. And wow, I am so, so proud.
The teaching aid in the classroom. Lily would always tell me that Patricia would fix her hair after the "nap" time. I'm pretty sure her job description is more complex than just hairdresser.
Phil and I relinquished a lot of control when she started school. And it was excruciating (especially for a Mom) to do. With my struggle to speak French in the beginning and the general "no news is good news" mindset of communication between parents and teachers, we told ourselves over and over: if she is happy to go to school, things must be going alright. We told ourselves that this is why we came to France...so our kids can learn another language, participate in another culture.
There is so much that happened at school that I have no idea about. I don't know the day when Lily answered her first question correctly in French. I don't know the day that Lily was picked by the other kids to play a game on the playground...there was so little communication between us and the teacher. But Lily was happy, and each week she seemed to become more and more comfortable. So, each day I would send her for eight hours of unknown activities--a black hole of of learning.
Lily showing off some of art work. She brought home a huge folder of all her books and paper the last week of school. This was part of the "black hole of learning"...she never brought her work home throughout the week. I guess in France they just keep it all a surprise until the end.
But now it's over for the next two months. She will begin school again in September. She will be used to the schedule, the food, the bathrooms. And she will be able to communicate!
Someday when we move back to US we hope to find a way for her to continue learning and speaking French. But Phil and I have both decided that even if she loses all the French she'll ever learn while living here, the life lessons she's gained from being thrown into a seemingly impossible situation will give her confidence. She has shown herself to be a brave, independent, and adaptable girl. There is a lot I can learn from her!
My little hero!
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