The language of the school is English. The kindergarten currently has four 4- to 5-year-olds and one other 2-year-old (described to me as "almost 3"), a Latvian girl who attends on Tuesdays and Fridays. The kindergarten was happy to accept Chloe too, even though she's just 2 yrs and 4 months. The program is half-day from 8 am to 12:30 pm, with a lot flexibility as to frequency of attendance. Due to Alan's teaching and my own writing (and Estonian-learning) schedules, we have decided on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings. This has the advantage of not overlapping with the days the other 2-year-old attends, so Rebekah, the kindergarten teacher, will only have to mind one toddler at a time. (For more information on the school as a whole -- though not much on the kindergarten itself -- see the Tartu International School's website.)
Among the older four students in the kindergarten, only one, a girl (Katie) from Alabama, is a native English speaker. The other three, all of whom are boys, speak Latvian, Finnish, and Danish. Even the teacher, Rebekah, can't understand what they say to her! On the other hand, they are already understanding much of Rebekah's English, since kids learn so fast. Rebekah is Estonian and speaks excellent English with a distinctively American accent. (She lived in Lexington KY and Nashville from ages 5 to 8. She is also in her last semester of an English degree at Tartu University.) Rebekah said that she finds talking to Katie a relief because they can actually understand each other. I think she is definitely going to get a kick out of Chloe and her little verbal insights. Almost all of the kindergarteners just started last week, so it is a new situation for nearly everyone.
Today was Chloe's first full morning. I checked in a couple of times, but she was always engrossed in the available activities and really didn't need my comforting presence! The pictures below show some events in the classroom, including a flashcard game in which Chloe excitedly gave all the answers! (It must be said that Matthias, the Danish boy, displayed some very impressive animal noises as his form of response.) There is also a photo of Chloe being offered a selection of rolls at the 11 am school-wide lunch. A particular highlight was recess, which she told me about excitedly: "We went up and down on the snow! They gave me a SLED!" Rebekah said that the older children, especially Katie and Matthias, argued over who was going to help Chloe get down the stairs, etc. Chloe absolutely loved the whole experience and did not want to leave at the end of the morning.
Until next time! - sac
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