The choice of school
Once you get here, after having come to terms with the thousand thousand emotions, we had to start thinking about serious things. First of all, look for houses. No, wrong. Better to look for the best schools first because access to schools is linked to the area of residence.
As soon as we arrived here we contacted an Italian-American association that operates here in Wisconsin and they put us in contact with Raffaele: an Italian teacher in one of the high schools here in Kenosha. Ralph took us to visit the best schools and meet the principals. We needed an elementary school and a middle school.
Two simply WONDERFUL schools. A close friend who visited us the following year wrote a beautiful article about my daughter's elementary school.
And so on September 1st 2011 my children began their amazing adventure in the American school. Not an easy start. Many factors must be taken into account: the American school system is completely different from the Italian one and the adaptation, both for the children and for us parents, was not trivial; they hardly spoke a word of English and what little they knew was of no use. The school district had made available to the tutor for as long as necessary.
The tutors are teachers who specialize in teaching ELL (English Language Learner), but he is a native American teacher nonetheless. It was certainly a considerable help, but the help of us parents was also fundamental in the first months: in the evening at home we spent a lot of time doing homework. And in any case, the tutor does not help during the break: those are difficult times for those who do not speak the language because you are unable to understand what their classmates are saying and you are unable to participate in the conversation.
And then came the yes ...
My daughter, who entered 4th grade, had my total support: the school allowed me to be in class with her all the time. While I was helping her teacher to correct her homework, make photocopies, organize the class library, I stayed in the classroom and listened to the lesson. In this way in the afternoon at home I could help her better in understanding the lesson. And during the day at school I helped her understand. The teacher was of great help, she always supported her and never forced her: when she read aloud in class she always asked her if she wanted to read and if Francesca (my daughter) said no, the teacher passed over .
Until the day Francesca said YES'… A day I will never forget! I was correcting my homework and turning my back on the class; I heard my daughter say "Yes" in a faint voice and started reading ... I was shivering! She was very good and when she finished, all her teammates clapped her hands together. I had tears (and even now while I tell it I am moved). I turned to her and she, with a huge smile, said "I did it!". At that point my little girl took off.
The comrades have always been very helpful and very helpful. The first time my son had to take it school bus to go home, one of his companions accompanied him to the front of the bus to show him which one he had to take.
When we started this American adventure, I started a blog. In the beginning it was mostly to tell our friends and family what we were going through. Then it also became a support tool for all those people who have to face a transfer like ours. Someone contacted us for information. If you are interested in sifting through it it is Stars and Stripes Irises
