Friday morning Nicholas, Alexandra and I went to visit Nick’s new school again. Only this time, we were allowed to sit in the back of any class we chose and observe. We could also eat in the cafeteria if we wanted, hang out in the huge school library, or just wander the halls looking at all the great art projects on display. They had several large electronic display boards set up, with the schedule for the whole day on there. I let/made Nicholas choose which classes we would visit, and then we looked on the map to try and find the classrooms.
At first glance, the building seems huge and impossible to navigate. It’s actually made up of two separate buildings, connected by a huge main hallway. And each wing has 5 different floors! But it’s arranged so logically, and labeled so clearly, we had no problem finding all three different classrooms. That was a relief to both of us. I didn’t want Nick wandering around, head stuck in a map for weeks, making himself an easy target for teasing.
There is also tons of natural light, both in the main hallway and in the classrooms. They designed it so each room had at least one wall of solid glass, which makes for a very pleasant learning area. There are lockers located in several inner hallways to hold all your books and things, just like in an American high school. That made me smile. We also observed that the kids all used normal backpacks, not Theks, and that they all had simple fabric pencil cases.
We visited a geography class, a history class, and a German class. I think Nick was most excited about the geography class, as he is fascinated with the world, and how it all fits together. In fact, he has been giving the kids geography lessons for fun for years, complete with homework and tests. They love it. But he has never taken an actual geography class himself. The lesson today was on the effects of a certain large glacier on northern Europe during the ice age, and the changes that are still occurring now.
The history class was about Martin Luther, and I learned a couple new things myself. The German class reminded me a lot of English class in high school, just in another language. Instead of reading some Shakespeare play, analyzing it, and trying to understand the old fashioned language, they were reading some long-dead German playwrights work, analyzing it, and trying to understand the crazy language.
Throughout the whole morning, Alexandra was very well-behaved. She quietly nibbled on crackers or dried apples, drew on the notebook I had brought for her, or sat in my lap and listened. Yes, I know how lucky I am. 🙂 Of course, she made it up for it on the way home, screaming and crying the entire way because I dared to turn on some Bruno Mars to make the drive less boring. sigh. Even after I turned it off, she still continued to cry. But at least in public she’s a perfect angel.
Nick went back to his regular school in the afternoon, very excited about what the future holds for him. I am so happy for my boy. He has definitely earned it.