Thanks for your wonderful comment.

This is fascinating. I LOVE the idea of the mid-day meal prepared from local produce. My kid gets chicken nuggets that are delivered on a truck, and the only local food is Friday’s weekly pizza “party” ;(

And doesn’t “Maternelle” sound nice?

In France Kindergarten is known as Maternelle, children normally attend from around age 4 years, 4 days a week, 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The school provides a 3 course meal at mid-day, prepared from local produce in the school kitchens by local residents.

The school has 2 classes, ages 4-6 and 8-10; those aged 6-8 go to a different class in another (local) school. In the 2 classes there is presently about 25 children (in total).

The youngest class get an hours rest on a cot in the school after lunch.

When Rory was about 2.5 years old, my daughter visited the school to find out more about entry requirements, ages, etc.

The teacher asked her “Is he clean?”, i.e. potty trained. To which my daughter replied “Yes”.

“Well, in that case”, responded the teacher, “bring him along tomorrow…”

And that was it!

One little boy, raised in an English speaking family, not a word of French, off to school 4 days a week… no ifs, buts or maybes.

Now aged 4 on 6th June 2009, he only speaks French at school and is the classroom clown.

Doesn’t like speaking French at home – unless, of course, you are French.

And says to his grandfather (me) “Grumpy… your accent is terrible” ;o)

Oh the drawing and writing! I’m looking forward to getting a collection of his ‘journals’ together to look over them.

I’m definitely going to try to volunteer more next year.

I am also amazed at the difference in my sons drawing and writing since September! I was looking at work from September compared to now and it looks completely different. So much more detail and precise letters. It is pure joy to see how they learn! I guess it doesn’t slow down yet!