The summer break is officially over, and it’s time for 3rd grade for our son!
Well… technically, Adrian was supposed to start a few days earlier. 😂
There was a school day on August 28th, but we completely missed it. Oops.
Apparently, it was just a little meeting to prepare the kids for the new school year, but somehow the teacher even called us asking why Adrian wasn’t there.
Well… by the time we realized what was happening, it was already 9 a.m. The school hours were from 7:30 to 10:00, so at that point I thought, yeah, we’re probably not going anymore. 😂
Taiwanese schools are funny sometimes.
Why do they organize school meetings during summer break?!
There was actually one while we were in Poland too. And I keep wondering… how many kids actually show up to these things?
Maybe more for the one right before school starts, but in the middle of summer? I imagine not that many.
I’ve even seen posts from people I know who simply went travelling because, once school starts, there is so little time to do anything.
So… August 31st was officially Adrian’s first day of 3rd grade.
And speaking of school… let’s talk about homework
Thankfully, Adrian finished most of it before we went to Poland. After he came back, he still had one 250-word essay to write.
That was on top of one other essay and 64 pages of homework.
And this was just the end of 2nd grade.
Yeah… I can imagine it will probably only get worse from here. 😂
Adrian was pretty lazy about doing the homework after coming back from Poland. And honestly, I can understand him.
He had just spent his summer in Poland where, as far as he could see, none of the kids had piles of homework waiting for them.
Sorry, Adrian, but… you live in Taiwan.
At the same time, I do sometimes feel that all this studying will mean he knows a lot more than children in Poland. I could already see quite a difference in what the kids knew.
Poland has also gone in the direction of reducing or banning homework in primary schools, which, personally, I think is a pretty stupid idea.
But maybe that’s just the Polish mom in me talking.
And then came the school supplies…
On the first day, Adrian had SO. MANY. THINGS. to carry.
And it seems there still a few missing, that wasn't mentioned before or some that need 24 colours now, but we have those in less shades...
Taiwanese schools really do love asking parents to buy all kinds of supplies right when the school started.
I remember when I was a kid in Poland, we obviously had school supplies, but I don’t remember bringing an entire mini household to school on the first day.
Unless something was needed for a specific class, we didn’t just keep everything at school from day one.
And definitely not things like jump ropes, toothbrushes, bowls, lunch bags and all sorts of other “essential” items.
So yeah…The pile of stuff just keeps growing. 😂
Wait… the classmates changed too?!
Another new thing for me this year - apart from the teacher changing, which is completely normal as the kids get older - is that the classmates changed too.
Yes, you read that correctly.
They mixed the kids into different classes again.
So from Adrian’s previous class, there are only four kids in total in his new class, including Adrian.
Everyone else has been mixed together from the other four classes. And honestly… I find it both funny and annoying.
From the kids’ perspective, they make friends, they enjoy spending time together, they get comfortable with their classmates…
And then: NOPE. TIME TO SEPARATE YOU AGAIN. 😂
I mentioned before that there was a large group of kids who went to the same kindergarten and then continued to the same elementary school.
When they first started elementary school, the kids were mixed so much that Adrian ended up being the only one from his kindergarten group in his class. He literally knew nobody.
Now, finally, there are three other kids from that original group with him.
And then they mix everyone again!
Can someone please explain the logic behind this to me?
Because I honestly don’t get it.
Is there some educational reason for constantly changing the classes? Is it to make the kids socialize with more people?
Or do Taiwanese schools just enjoy making parents and children adjust to new classmates every year?
I’m genuinely curious.
The first day is LONG
Adrian started at 7:30 in the morning and finished at 5:10 p.m.
So yeah… A whole LONG day.
And of course, there was more paperwork.
Every year we have to fill out basically the same forms again and again. Sometimes I feel like I’ve already filled out the exact same information two or three times. 😂
And, as always, there were already some payments to make. Apart from the books and materials that are actually required, there always seem to be extra things that need to be purchased.
Because apparently children cannot have even five minutes of rest from studying and homework.
And then… I discovered we need a FLUTE
Yes.
A flute.
Apparently, Adrian needs to learn to play the flute at school, and we have to purchase one.
This is completely normal in Taiwan, apparently.
For me? Not normal at all!
I don’t remember anyone in Poland having to buy an instrument and bring it to school.
So the next day, I had to run around town looking for a flute. And apparently, every stationery shop sells them?! Is a flute basically a stationery item in Taiwan?! 😂
Anyway, I finally found one. I thought: Great! Done! Mission accomplished!
I went to pay and the clerk suddenly asked me: “Are you sure this is the one you need?”
Excuse me?! Apparently, there are German-style and English-style recorders.
I stood there completely confused. I had NO idea there were different types. Apparently, it was written in the school book...
My husband had obviously read it and decided that this was not important information to pass on to me.
Or maybe he didn’t know there were different types either. 😂 The only thing he told me was which colours were NOT allowed. Because apparently, even the colour matters when you play.
So I saw a white one, thought it was the right one, grabbed it and thought: Finally! I’m done!
But no. Of course not. 😂
In the end, I took photos of the flute and sent them to the teacher to make absolutely sure I was buying the correct one. The answer came later… After I had already gone home.
So now I have to go back again. Flute shopping: Round 2. 🎶😂
And this is only the beginning of 3rd grade.
If the first few days are already like this, I’m slightly scared to see what the rest of the school year has in store for us.
Welcome back to school, Adrian!
Hello, 3rd grade.
We are ready…well, mostly ready. 😂
