Popular Post OnYellowBrickRd Posted December 12, 2013 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 12, 2013 (edited) I have read so many posts of concerned parents that I thought I would share our experience with you.We moved to Aus on 31 March this year. We had never been here so we had no idea what to expect. We just knew that we needed to do something to ensure a better future for our then 5-year-old.The original plan was to land, find a job and accommodation and then look for a school. Well, we soon learned that in immigration plans are guidelines. ..that change constantly. We eventually found an area that looked nice and then applied to enrol J in the school. As the school was zoned we needed to secure a rental in the area to allow J to attend the school.Within a week (praise the Lord!) we managed to sign a rental contract allowing J to attend the school. A week after moving in, DH got a job (known as another miracle as jobs are scarce on the Sunshine Coast).J's school experience has been amazing. She was a term behind (we asked the principal to keep her in Prep even though she was 10 days too old, according to the guidelines and she was Afrikaans speaking and she had missed the first term of prep schooling in Aus) but now at the end of the year I can truly say that I am gobsmacked at her progress. She has learned to read (can identify over 70 sight words at a glance) and has adapted magnificently on both academic and social levels.Her (very detailed) report was stunning and I am proud to say that she has received the Principal's Award for being self-managed, self directed and socially responsible. So, this post is only here to say that you should not worry about your kids and school...okay, you should not worry too much. Australia is an embracing society and your kids will be more nurtured than in RSA (as a teacher myself, I speak from experience). The education system is great and the teachers are dedicated. The heart of this mom is at ease. And I am so happy and grateful that I can say this. Edited December 12, 2013 by OnYellowBrickRd 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted December 12, 2013 Report Share Posted December 12, 2013 What a lovely encouraging post for all moms on their way or new arrivals. I can feel the joy in your heart knowing that J is doing so well. And don't forget you two are doing a great job too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreaL Posted December 12, 2013 Report Share Posted December 12, 2013 Thank you OYBRIt is probably the greatest worry that parents especially Mums, have and my experiences have on the most part been very positive too over the past years. Teachers do so much more than simply teach here, they care for and nurture our children.I'm so glad that J has settled so well and that you are happy, you guys have done an amazing job and have come so far in a relatively short time, you both deserve it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toitjie Posted December 12, 2013 Report Share Posted December 12, 2013 Thank you for sharing this. As a mom of 2, where they will be going into the unknown of a new English school, in a new country soon...I have those same fears. It is so reassuring to know that the education system is really working towards the well-being of our kids. If my kids are happy and well-adjusted, then Im happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bams Posted December 12, 2013 Report Share Posted December 12, 2013 Okay so once again the bottom line of "don't stress too much" is coming through.I am so happy that you guys and especially J have settled so nicely.Thank you for the post and I will definitely take this to heart and start applying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikamarie Posted December 13, 2013 Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 Thanks for the post. Really means a lot. I've been stressing about our 2 and a half year old daughter and how she will cope, but I think I am underestimating her. She will probably be settled long before us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BriD Posted December 13, 2013 Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 Thank you so much for this. I really needed it today. Last night I was confronted by an opinionated woman who proceeded to fill me with confusion re education. Thanks for setting my heart at Ease again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveisSebastian Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 This is so wondefully reassuring! thank you for the post.I have read a lot of debate on Private vs State schools in Australia, is J attending private or state? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzzieWishes Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 The blanket argument re state and public is frustrating. There's good and bad in both. If you do,your homework, you will be fine. My kids too have settled in so well. My oldest struggled initially but that was more to do with mourning what she was leaving behind as opposed to what she had come to. My 2 eldest love sport and have embraced what is on offer here. Eg surf live saving is an awesome opportunity for the kids to meet friends and be apart of a club. It is SO organised (during a comp last week in the heat wave, they had sprinklers for the kids to keep cool and keep the sand cool!), there's rugby, hockey, swimming, dancing and pony club in the holidays. My big two spent 2 days at the dolphin discovery centre interacting with the wild dolphins and learning about marine life. They loved it. And, I find it affordable. Also, you make so many friends through your kids involvement. My kids catch the bus home from school. They love walking to the park with friends. They miss "Africa" but as I always tell them, it's not going anywhere! "It's all good!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicknel Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Firstly..... Thanks for this post, as mothers we really stress a lot about our kids.Secondly...... here is my stress. Slightly off topic.....I know my son will only be three when we move to Oz but I am really stressing in terms of GRANDPARENTS! He loves his granny soooo much, she looked after him during the day for the first year of his life while I had to work, now he attends school but still see them at least 3-4 times a week because we live on the same farm. Although we have our own house a few hundred meters away from their house, he wants to go visit everyday but I limit it to 3-4 times a week. I am so stressed that the move will impact him badly when it comes to his grandmother. For those of you already there, how did your kids respond to the move and how did you deal with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alida Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 I think the younger children is not completely aware of the magnitude of the move the parents are making. I do believe that much of their comfort comes from the parents' attitude. If you MAKE yourself feel happy and exited, they will hook on to your positive attitude and act and feel accordingly. I think it is teens that might suffer the most, for they are aware that Australia is really at the other side of the globe. They feel the distance emotionally. The smaller ones do not have that perspective, to them it is no more stress than moving to another town a few hundred kilos from where they live now.Nicknel, why not 'import' granny for a holiday with you as soon as you have a place to lay down your head ? Why not encourage granny to follow you in immigration ? I know my brother's son really missed my dad for quite a while, getting angry at him for not making enough contact to his liking. But he was 6-7 at that stage. In the meantime my dad died in an accident. I'd suggest Skype/phone calls 3-4 times a week at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicknel Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Thanks Alida! I really appreciate it. I feel better already. I am very excited about our plans to go to Oz, I will hop on that plane today. So we will just make sure we try to shift some of that exciting positive energy on to him when we get closer to the time. At this stage we are telling him that we are moving to the sea! He gets sooo excited. We show him pictures of parks and the beaches. But when we tell him we are moving there he says that granny must go with. Skype calls will have to do for now until we have our stuff sorted then we will get Grandma & Grandpa to us by December for the holidays. My MIL & FIL have other children as well, they have tenants living on houses on the farm for their 'salary', my FIL still farms with bales and they are so set in their ways, we struggled to get MIL to go on a Cape Town holiday with us, she nearly cancelled because she freaked out as she NEVER spent Christmas away from home before. So I don't think they will make a big change like that anytime soon. We will see how she feels after the first trip to Oz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PleasantlySurprised Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 I just love this discussion. It just fills your heart with hope and isn't what this all about - hope and faith that what we're doing is going to make our lives and those of our children better. I can't believe you get to live on the Sunshine Coast, that is incredible! I am so excited about this adventure that my husband and I are due to embark on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julesktm1 Posted May 29, 2014 Report Share Posted May 29, 2014 What a stunning post. and the header is spot on the heart of a mom. When it comes to children we cannot afford to be opiniated. Everyone if they could would put their children into thebest that education can offer. Money and alot of other factors come into play. And if you look around at the world today the priviliged kids are just playing up all around the world arent they look at the latest shooting. Our love and support will hopefully guide them all, we dont want them to be top of the class we want them to be the all round respectful people that we are proud of. God bless us all on our journeys those started and those to come. A moms love has such commonalites doesnt it. I wish you all the same that I wish for my family and mine. God Bless and have a lovely week this post has so warmed my heart. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronwyn&Co Posted May 29, 2014 Report Share Posted May 29, 2014 This is so wondefully reassuring! thank you for the post.I have read a lot of debate on Private vs State schools in Australia, is J attending private or state?She's in a State school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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