一年生 in Japan comes with about 30 minutes of homework everyday (pretty much on par with what I was told to expect in first grade in the USA). Everyday C has 2 worksheets, a reading passage, and memorization of math equations.
It was the math equations that were the most difficult to figure out at first. They start by doing addition like this:
4は２と_____ which is backwards from the way we are taught in the USA, so it took me about 2 weeks to figure out it meant 4 = 2 + ____. I had a hard time explaining it to my son as well. And of course the teacher mentioned she was concerned that C wasn't understanding it after the first week. I just had to (with translation help) explain that it was a very different way of learning math from what we were taught in the USA and it will take some time to adjust.
Now, 3 months later, C has no problem with math (not that he ever did, but it just took a bit of time to adjust) and he is now memorizing equations like these:
１ たつ ２は ＿＿＿＿ meaning 1 + 2 = _____
and
４ ひく ３は ＿＿＿＿＿ meaning 4 - 3 = ____
I hadn't thought math would be the biggest hurdle we would face at first, but so far we've been able to work on hiragana without too many issues. There are definitely words I have to look up in the dictionary and some that we just can't puzzle out, but honestly they are pretty rare. I thought it would be more difficult for C to learn hiragana, but he seems to be picking it up really fast.
I also just found it really interesting at how math is introduced and taught in Japan. It is a lot of memorization of basic equations as well as a variety of worksheets and story problems. It's actually been really fun to read the story problems and be able to understand what the questions are. I can understand the schoolwork of a Japanese 6 year old - I don't know whether to be proud or slightly offended ;) Gotta start somewhere I suppose.
Along with hiragana practice, math and memorizing equations, C has to practice reading Japanese from a textbook everyday. It's really a cute book and definitely something I want to bring back with us when we go home. He's doing pretty well, better than I expected quite honestly. Plus every week they go to the school library and he brings home 2-3 books which he likes to read to me before bedtime. Overall he's getting a lot of practice in Japanese, so I'm very happy that he is doing so well and enjoying it.
I also make him do English 'homework' everyday. It's pretty easy for me to tack on an extra worksheet as long as he's doing homework anyway. Luckily we get home fairly early - between 4:30 and 6:15 depending on the day of the week. We have time to do homework and even watch some TV usually before bedtime. Some JET's are not so lucky as to be able to get home so early, it just depends on your school and schedule.
We're both looking forward to summer though! Only one more week of school and then it's summer break! We have some fun adventures planned, so it should be a great break. ;) and i finally get to read some books!!
A Single Parent's Journey moving to Japan with the JET Program
Showing posts with label JET. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JET. Show all posts
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Things I wish I'd known before coming to Japan....
I've been terrible about keeping up with this blog - I'm sorry. I had so many grand plans of blogging, doing my design work, homeschooling my son, and traveling (on top of teaching) - I just haven't had time to all of it. However, I can at least share some insight I've learned in my first year here.
Things to know in the first few months: (aka things I wish I’d known)
-- and of course ESID, so these things apply to my situation, but may not apply to yours --
If you are a single parent from the USA - you must 'prove' your single status by submitting a notarized document from the US embassy saying you are single and the sole supporter of your child. Typically a Japanese person would use their family registry, however since we don't have a family registry (to the astonishment of my city hall) you must get this form to prove your single status. I tried to use a tax return, but they wouldn't accept it. It cost $50 (in 2013) *check the embassy website for costs now...plus my train to get there and back. So I recommend that you go during Tokyo orientation if you can and save yourself the day of Nenkyuu and the costs of getting to either Osaka or Tokyo. You must make an appointment with the embassy, bring your passport and confirmation of the appointment. I know you'll be jetlagged and exhausted, but getting that paper in Tokyo will save you money and nenkyuu time because the embassy is closed on Japanese and American holidays. You can get the child payment without the document, but if you are a single parent, you are eligible for a much larger payment. It varies from city to city I believe, however just to give you an idea…in my town, every family receives 10,000 yen per child, but as a single parent I receive 41,100 yen additional. I don’t know how much it would increase if you had more than one child. It is paid every 4 months directly into your bank account. I lost about 4 months of the increased payment, because I didn’t have the document, so if you get the notarized letter in Tokyo, it will be paid to you much faster. You can download the form from the embassy website and you’ll have to include your name, address in Japan, you’re a US citizen, and a message that you are the sole supporter of your child, nobody else is living with you or supporting you financially, etc. If you are divorced you must include that date. You will have to raise your right hand and swear that all the information is true in front of the notary. They’ll stamp it and you’ll be golden. You also will have to get it translated into Japanese, by someone. Depending on your city it may need or may not need to be an official translation.
ESID (I know, I know)…however, in my case initial startup expenses were a lot. The first few months were really tough, however after I got through them, now I’m able to save almost $1000 a month (again…ESID, you may be able to save more or less), so if you can just make it through the first few months you’ll be alright. I also had to pay an astronomical amount of key money and a pet deposit – so the first few months for me were incredibly tight, you may be lucky and not have to pay key money (most JETs don’t). Also just getting used to only getting paid once a month was an adjustment as well.
I don’t think anyone can truly prepare you for how exhausted you’ll be for the first few months – every person, every child will react differently to the new situation. My advice is to just relax and try not to do too much in the first few months. It took us a good 6-7 months to really be comfortable and settle in completely. I highly recommend you plan to spend at least 2 years in Japan. As the end of my first year draws close, I really feel like we can finally start exploring Japan a lot more and language-wise, my son has really just started speaking Japanese fluently. Another year and he will be completely fluent. – I need to study!! -- ;)
I had grand plans of studying Japanese, doing my graphic design work, sketching, working on my portfolio, etc…after work --- one year later and it still hasn’t happened. Partially because my computer needs updating and I need to buy new programs, –but that doesn’t have anything to do with sketching or studying Japanese -- but mostly because I’ve just been too tired to work or study after C is in bed. Although I’m finally at a point where I can start working on my stuff again, and I’ve started taking classes on Coursera.
Housework in Japan is a never ending battle and there is a learning curve. I will add some helpful recipes for combating mold in the shower, getting stains out of the electric kettle and so on….things I’ve learned over the course of my year here (or you can just do an online search). You’ll need a good vacuum cleaner because the amount of dust bunnies that collect is amazing – they really do multiply like bunnies. I have to vacuum at least every other day. Oh, I’ve also included a recipe for an amazing cake baked in the rice cooker…A bit embarrassing, but I’ve eaten a lot of cake in my year here… warm chocolate cake and coffee are my motivation and reward for staying up and getting stuff done after C has gone to sleep! ;)
Rice freezes really well! Don’t waste rice, like I did at first because I didn’t know any better. It’s hard to make just one serving of rice, so if you make a lot and freeze some in individual portions while it’s still slightly warm (you need the moisture), you can pop it in the microwave in the mornings and it is just like it was fresh from the cooker. Good way to save time for bentos in the morning (plus you don’t have to clean the rice cooker as often either!) Or for breakfast you can eat rice with some milk and cinnamon sugar on top and it’s kind of like a hot cereal. Also, when you make dinner, set aside some for bentos, it's pretty easy to make miniature versions of dinner foods that you can freeze later for quick bentos.
If I think of more, I will add to this post, but the notarized letter was the biggest thing I wanted to share for you guys who are incoming this year. Best of luck to you! I've really enjoyed my first year here, and I'm looking forward to my second! Let's rock this year! ;)
Things to know in the first few months: (aka things I wish I’d known)
-- and of course ESID, so these things apply to my situation, but may not apply to yours --
If you are a single parent from the USA - you must 'prove' your single status by submitting a notarized document from the US embassy saying you are single and the sole supporter of your child. Typically a Japanese person would use their family registry, however since we don't have a family registry (to the astonishment of my city hall) you must get this form to prove your single status. I tried to use a tax return, but they wouldn't accept it. It cost $50 (in 2013) *check the embassy website for costs now...plus my train to get there and back. So I recommend that you go during Tokyo orientation if you can and save yourself the day of Nenkyuu and the costs of getting to either Osaka or Tokyo. You must make an appointment with the embassy, bring your passport and confirmation of the appointment. I know you'll be jetlagged and exhausted, but getting that paper in Tokyo will save you money and nenkyuu time because the embassy is closed on Japanese and American holidays. You can get the child payment without the document, but if you are a single parent, you are eligible for a much larger payment. It varies from city to city I believe, however just to give you an idea…in my town, every family receives 10,000 yen per child, but as a single parent I receive 41,100 yen additional. I don’t know how much it would increase if you had more than one child. It is paid every 4 months directly into your bank account. I lost about 4 months of the increased payment, because I didn’t have the document, so if you get the notarized letter in Tokyo, it will be paid to you much faster. You can download the form from the embassy website and you’ll have to include your name, address in Japan, you’re a US citizen, and a message that you are the sole supporter of your child, nobody else is living with you or supporting you financially, etc. If you are divorced you must include that date. You will have to raise your right hand and swear that all the information is true in front of the notary. They’ll stamp it and you’ll be golden. You also will have to get it translated into Japanese, by someone. Depending on your city it may need or may not need to be an official translation.
ESID (I know, I know)…however, in my case initial startup expenses were a lot. The first few months were really tough, however after I got through them, now I’m able to save almost $1000 a month (again…ESID, you may be able to save more or less), so if you can just make it through the first few months you’ll be alright. I also had to pay an astronomical amount of key money and a pet deposit – so the first few months for me were incredibly tight, you may be lucky and not have to pay key money (most JETs don’t). Also just getting used to only getting paid once a month was an adjustment as well.
I don’t think anyone can truly prepare you for how exhausted you’ll be for the first few months – every person, every child will react differently to the new situation. My advice is to just relax and try not to do too much in the first few months. It took us a good 6-7 months to really be comfortable and settle in completely. I highly recommend you plan to spend at least 2 years in Japan. As the end of my first year draws close, I really feel like we can finally start exploring Japan a lot more and language-wise, my son has really just started speaking Japanese fluently. Another year and he will be completely fluent. – I need to study!! -- ;)
I had grand plans of studying Japanese, doing my graphic design work, sketching, working on my portfolio, etc…after work --- one year later and it still hasn’t happened. Partially because my computer needs updating and I need to buy new programs, –but that doesn’t have anything to do with sketching or studying Japanese -- but mostly because I’ve just been too tired to work or study after C is in bed. Although I’m finally at a point where I can start working on my stuff again, and I’ve started taking classes on Coursera.
Housework in Japan is a never ending battle and there is a learning curve. I will add some helpful recipes for combating mold in the shower, getting stains out of the electric kettle and so on….things I’ve learned over the course of my year here (or you can just do an online search). You’ll need a good vacuum cleaner because the amount of dust bunnies that collect is amazing – they really do multiply like bunnies. I have to vacuum at least every other day. Oh, I’ve also included a recipe for an amazing cake baked in the rice cooker…A bit embarrassing, but I’ve eaten a lot of cake in my year here… warm chocolate cake and coffee are my motivation and reward for staying up and getting stuff done after C has gone to sleep! ;)
Rice freezes really well! Don’t waste rice, like I did at first because I didn’t know any better. It’s hard to make just one serving of rice, so if you make a lot and freeze some in individual portions while it’s still slightly warm (you need the moisture), you can pop it in the microwave in the mornings and it is just like it was fresh from the cooker. Good way to save time for bentos in the morning (plus you don’t have to clean the rice cooker as often either!) Or for breakfast you can eat rice with some milk and cinnamon sugar on top and it’s kind of like a hot cereal. Also, when you make dinner, set aside some for bentos, it's pretty easy to make miniature versions of dinner foods that you can freeze later for quick bentos.
If I think of more, I will add to this post, but the notarized letter was the biggest thing I wanted to share for you guys who are incoming this year. Best of luck to you! I've really enjoyed my first year here, and I'm looking forward to my second! Let's rock this year! ;)
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Homeschooling
Following my lengthy post on school enrollment, I thought I’d share some of the things I do with my son to keep him caught up with American school. These are just my methods, there is no right or wrong way to teach a child - do whatever works for your family.
Basically – I concentrate on English reading, writing and spelling. If we have time we do either: math, science, or geography. Usually it’s during lunch on Sunday, and weather permitting we’ll go on a picnic to the park and do lessons with a round of running around in-between. Also, just to keep it interesting – on days the weather isn’t so nice, sometimes we’ll go out to eat lunch and study there.
As always – Pinterest is a great source for teaching ideas and materials.
There are also many online homeschooling resources for parents. And lots of free printable worksheets floating around on the internet.
We brought with us a big (and very heavy) workbook. I got it at Barnes & Noble, it’s called ‘Complete Curriculum’ – first grade. It has different sections for reading, spelling, math, and Language arts. Every weekend we do one chapter from each section…but if we are running short on time I just concentrate on reading and English.
Sight word flash cards – I downloaded a list of required sight words from my local ISD in the USA and we’ve been working on those words. Sometimes we just use them as flash cards, but other times, I’ll have him race to slap the word before I can, or make some other type of game out of it…just to keep it fun. I will start adding more words as soon as C has mastered the basic Kindergarten and 1st grade list.
Reading stories – of course we read stories before bed every night. I pick a book for C to read to me, and he picks a book for me to read to him. We usually read for 20-30 minutes before bedtime.
I’ve started having C write and draw stories – you can download story paper (ie. Half blank, half with writing lines) online…we just print it out and staple it together…we also mail some of them to a friend who is the same age to help him read and write as well…and get some in return. ;) the boys love getting each others stories.
Highlights magazine – YES! They ship internationally!!! Every 2 months C gets a new magazine in the mail of stories and activities. This is part of C’s Christmas present every year from family.
Spelling – We use ABC letters to spell words (we have wooden ones, but they could be made out of anything). They just make it more of an activity and more hands on, than just writing out the words. We start with sight words and will build from there.
I also brought over rolls of change and a few small bills to help C to learn to count American money – nightmare to get through airport security!!! If I did it over again I’d probably just use fake money – or print out and laminate photos when I got to Japan. Though I thought it would be important to use real money, so he got used to counting real money. I admit – I’ve been lax on this lesson.
As for science – I just try to use everyday activities to teach science. Cooking dinner or baking something – I’ll ask C ‘what do you think will happen when I add ingredient A to ingredient B?’ Then we will see if his ‘hypothesis’ was correct or not. Simple stuff…nothing elaborate. If we are baking muffins or whatever I’ll ask him how batter changes when we add heat. Also – will it sink or float in the bathtub is a science activity. There are lots of ways to introducing science without a planned out lesson.
Math – I’m not so worried about C learning math, because he will learn it in Japanese school as well. We do simple activities if we have time, if not we skip it.
Geography – I haven’t really done any sort of geography lesson as of yet. I’m honestly not sure what kind of geography kids learn in first grade. I’m also not as worried about this, though now I think maybe I should incorporate a little lesson into this week’s homeschooling session…
Basically – I concentrate on English reading, writing and spelling. If we have time we do either: math, science, or geography. Usually it’s during lunch on Sunday, and weather permitting we’ll go on a picnic to the park and do lessons with a round of running around in-between. Also, just to keep it interesting – on days the weather isn’t so nice, sometimes we’ll go out to eat lunch and study there.
As always – Pinterest is a great source for teaching ideas and materials.
There are also many online homeschooling resources for parents. And lots of free printable worksheets floating around on the internet.
We brought with us a big (and very heavy) workbook. I got it at Barnes & Noble, it’s called ‘Complete Curriculum’ – first grade. It has different sections for reading, spelling, math, and Language arts. Every weekend we do one chapter from each section…but if we are running short on time I just concentrate on reading and English.
Sight word flash cards – I downloaded a list of required sight words from my local ISD in the USA and we’ve been working on those words. Sometimes we just use them as flash cards, but other times, I’ll have him race to slap the word before I can, or make some other type of game out of it…just to keep it fun. I will start adding more words as soon as C has mastered the basic Kindergarten and 1st grade list.
Reading stories – of course we read stories before bed every night. I pick a book for C to read to me, and he picks a book for me to read to him. We usually read for 20-30 minutes before bedtime.
I’ve started having C write and draw stories – you can download story paper (ie. Half blank, half with writing lines) online…we just print it out and staple it together…we also mail some of them to a friend who is the same age to help him read and write as well…and get some in return. ;) the boys love getting each others stories.
Highlights magazine – YES! They ship internationally!!! Every 2 months C gets a new magazine in the mail of stories and activities. This is part of C’s Christmas present every year from family.
Spelling – We use ABC letters to spell words (we have wooden ones, but they could be made out of anything). They just make it more of an activity and more hands on, than just writing out the words. We start with sight words and will build from there.
I also brought over rolls of change and a few small bills to help C to learn to count American money – nightmare to get through airport security!!! If I did it over again I’d probably just use fake money – or print out and laminate photos when I got to Japan. Though I thought it would be important to use real money, so he got used to counting real money. I admit – I’ve been lax on this lesson.
As for science – I just try to use everyday activities to teach science. Cooking dinner or baking something – I’ll ask C ‘what do you think will happen when I add ingredient A to ingredient B?’ Then we will see if his ‘hypothesis’ was correct or not. Simple stuff…nothing elaborate. If we are baking muffins or whatever I’ll ask him how batter changes when we add heat. Also – will it sink or float in the bathtub is a science activity. There are lots of ways to introducing science without a planned out lesson.
Math – I’m not so worried about C learning math, because he will learn it in Japanese school as well. We do simple activities if we have time, if not we skip it.
Geography – I haven’t really done any sort of geography lesson as of yet. I’m honestly not sure what kind of geography kids learn in first grade. I’m also not as worried about this, though now I think maybe I should incorporate a little lesson into this week’s homeschooling session…
Enrolling C in Elementary School
EISD…I know, I hated that phrase so much when I was getting ready to move to Japan. But it really is true. Nobody can give you a magical answer, as much as we wish they could. So here is my experience with elementary school enrollment.
C will start first grade this April in Japan. So, a few months after we moved in, we had to go to the city hall to fill out a registration form. Someone in this department spoke some English, so all in all, very easy to do on my own. I went on a Tuesday evening since the city hall stays open till 7 on Tuesdays in my city.
You will get a postcard in the mail telling you which local school your child will attend. It will be all in Japanese, except my child’s name was printed in Romanji, so after a little help translating I understood where he would go to school. I was told to take the card to the elementary school, so I took it to the elementary school, but I’m not really sure I was supposed to because nothing happened after that. They just nodded and said okay, said hi to C and we were on our way – so I’m still not sure if I was supposed to take it to the school or not…
1st meeting - You will get another postcard notifying you of the introductory meeting/health check. Most all elementary school meetings are held during working hours…I know, it sucks…but しょうがない (it can’t be helped)…because this is Japan where (generally) mothers don’t work. It’s very difficult to be a full-time working mother in Japan. Anyway…back on topic…the intro meeting lasts about 3 hours. The kids go off with the elementary school kids and teachers for a health-check (I warned C that this was going to happen so he wouldn’t get scared) but it’s not a big deal if your child wants you to go with, several of the Japanese kids wouldn’t go without their mothers…and unless you speak Japnese, you won’t understand most of the parent lecture anyways. I didn’t, I sat and listened, looked at the papers the other parents were looking at and didn’t understand most of what was going on. ;) fun times. There was a pause at the end of the presentation and many of the mothers ran (literally ran!) to a table set up on the side of the room and the nice lady behind the table was handing out packets of forms to fill out. I sat confused for a moment before I realized they were probably signing up for after-school care…then I semi-panicked and ran over to the table too. She gave me a packet and after it was clear I had no idea what was going on, she called a teacher over who spoke English and I was able to sign up for the after-school care program. The thing about it is, it’s done based on need, similar to hoikuen. So for me, I was at the top of the list because there is nobody else to care for my son…however, depending on your situation, you may or may not get a spot in the after-school care program. Unfortunately there is a huge deficit of child-care in Japan right now.
Meeting 2 – this was for the after-school care program (thank goodness it was on a Saturday!). I went with C and with the help of my limited Japanese, the program teachers limited English and translations on smart phones, we managed pretty well. I got a big packet of papers - I don’t know what it is exactly…
Meeting 3 – My JTE tells me that the after-school program teacher has called her and asked that we attend another meeting together with all the parents. Yet another information session, I’m not sure why it couldn’t have been all rolled into one…but it’s not… So, this one is on a Saturday as well, the after-school program is good about scheduling meetings outside of working hours at least. However it happens to be Graduation day at my base school...anyway we work out another day to meet. I felt bad that my JTE had to give up part of her Saturday to help me, but I didn’t have much of a choice. Basically this meeting was covering the rules, costs and supplies C would need for the after-school care. This meeting took 3 hours and then there was coffee/tea and snack afterwards. It was a nice gesture of hospitality, so please don’t get me wrong when I say….why did it have to take 3 hours?? I don’t know! It could have easily been done in an hour in my opinion…
Meeting 4 – This is another elementary school meeting where you order school supplies, uniforms, etc…You will get an order form in the mail. This meeting is during the week and lasts 3-4 hours. Depending on your school you may or may not have uniforms (most elementary schools in Japan do not), C’s does. So – there are 2 copies of each order form, I thought one was for my use, one to turn in, so I translated and wrote all over one copy, but…apparently not, the school needs both. oops!. You need to fill out both copies and then the school will make another copy. ?? I don’t know why so many copies are needed. C’s elementary school actually had a translator from the local BOE come out to help me for this meeting which was amazingly thoughtful of them. The kids went off and explored the school, sat in a classroom for a bit while the parents were told about the school supplies (the ones not listed on the order forms) that each child would need. Let me tell you – they are extensive!!! I’ve got a running excel documents of school expenses that I will upload once I have completed school supply shopping. There will also be vendors there from the uniform companies with samples so your kid can try on the Jackets, hats, shorts, gym uniform, etc…and you can order the right size Aside from the uniform itself, pretty much everything else can be found at a local store…I’ve notated this on that excel file I mentioned. The biggest thing I need to mention here is ORDER THE PRE-PRINTED NAME STICKERS!!! Everything – down to every little counting chip and dice in the math set (which has probably 200 pcs) – has to have your child’s name on it. EVERYTHING!! Each crayon, the box lid and base, Every pencil, eraser…etc…it’s pretty intense. You do not want to have to write your child’s name that many times, on teeny tiny little stickers. There will be certain things you must order from the school – for example, the uniform and that math set I mentioned above. But check Amazon or your local store for the other stuff, I’ve found it’s usually cheaper. A lot of the small things can be purchased at the ¥100 store. I did not have to pay for the ordered school supplies at this point in time. This was also the meeting where I met another parent who speaks English fluently and she offered to help me out if I had any questions! Hurray! She even asked the principle if her child and mine could be in the same class. Double hurray!!!
Meeting 5 – ** Update - yes, this took about 10 minutes and it was just pay and pickup the items we had ordered.
This meeting is next week – so I will update this post after I have attended it, but I have been told it is a ‘shopping day’ from 3-4 pm. From what I understand this is the day that we pay and pick up all the things we ordered from meeting 4. This is also during the week – but luckily, it happens to be a test day at my school, so I have been told that if I come in an hour early it won’t be a problem to leave an hour early. My nenkyuu is in short supply, and what I do have left is needed for C’s entrance ceremony and graduation from daycare ceremony.
****NOTE: I have been told by a Japanese mother that I need a white suit for the elementary entrance ceremony (only 1st grade mom’s need a white suit) – I found one at the department store but it was ¥10,200 yen!! (three pieces; cropped jacket, white skirt, black dress). Surprisingly it’s very cute, but expensive for a suit I will have little occasion to wear again. I expected the suit, because it’s a formal occasion, but I did not know it had to be white…so consider yourself forewarned!! You will see a whole section of white suits in the department stores starting in February or so. They will probably not be for sale after mid-march, so it is best to get one while you can…also they come in a limited number of sizes on the rack, so you may have to shop around a bit depending on your body type.
The children (if they have uniforms) wear their uniforms for the entrance ceremony – however, if your school does not have uniforms, the child is expected to wear a suit, or formal dress - so I’ve been told. Please be sure to ask someone what the appropriate dress code is, because it is likely that nobody will think to mention it since it is common cultural knowledge to the Japanese. Another unexpected expense…
I was very upset to see that most parents were just wearing their black or grey suits....I suggest using the 'gaijin card' in situation such as these because I wasn't happy when I saw that not everyone was in a white suit (like I was told they would be)...however I suppose the silver lining is that I have used the suit more than once for entrance ceremony, photos at school, open school day, and some other days where the dress/jacket was very appropriate...so not a complete waste of money.
**I found it easier to print my own name stickers for all the things C needs at school. First of all, C's name was misspelled on the ones we had ordered, but also, there weren't enough for all the things we had to label. So I printed my own and was able to make lots more stickers. I even added Pokemon because I could and C loves Pokemon! I will try to share the file if I can figure out a way.
C will start first grade this April in Japan. So, a few months after we moved in, we had to go to the city hall to fill out a registration form. Someone in this department spoke some English, so all in all, very easy to do on my own. I went on a Tuesday evening since the city hall stays open till 7 on Tuesdays in my city.
You will get a postcard in the mail telling you which local school your child will attend. It will be all in Japanese, except my child’s name was printed in Romanji, so after a little help translating I understood where he would go to school. I was told to take the card to the elementary school, so I took it to the elementary school, but I’m not really sure I was supposed to because nothing happened after that. They just nodded and said okay, said hi to C and we were on our way – so I’m still not sure if I was supposed to take it to the school or not…
1st meeting - You will get another postcard notifying you of the introductory meeting/health check. Most all elementary school meetings are held during working hours…I know, it sucks…but しょうがない (it can’t be helped)…because this is Japan where (generally) mothers don’t work. It’s very difficult to be a full-time working mother in Japan. Anyway…back on topic…the intro meeting lasts about 3 hours. The kids go off with the elementary school kids and teachers for a health-check (I warned C that this was going to happen so he wouldn’t get scared) but it’s not a big deal if your child wants you to go with, several of the Japanese kids wouldn’t go without their mothers…and unless you speak Japnese, you won’t understand most of the parent lecture anyways. I didn’t, I sat and listened, looked at the papers the other parents were looking at and didn’t understand most of what was going on. ;) fun times. There was a pause at the end of the presentation and many of the mothers ran (literally ran!) to a table set up on the side of the room and the nice lady behind the table was handing out packets of forms to fill out. I sat confused for a moment before I realized they were probably signing up for after-school care…then I semi-panicked and ran over to the table too. She gave me a packet and after it was clear I had no idea what was going on, she called a teacher over who spoke English and I was able to sign up for the after-school care program. The thing about it is, it’s done based on need, similar to hoikuen. So for me, I was at the top of the list because there is nobody else to care for my son…however, depending on your situation, you may or may not get a spot in the after-school care program. Unfortunately there is a huge deficit of child-care in Japan right now.
Meeting 2 – this was for the after-school care program (thank goodness it was on a Saturday!). I went with C and with the help of my limited Japanese, the program teachers limited English and translations on smart phones, we managed pretty well. I got a big packet of papers - I don’t know what it is exactly…
Meeting 3 – My JTE tells me that the after-school program teacher has called her and asked that we attend another meeting together with all the parents. Yet another information session, I’m not sure why it couldn’t have been all rolled into one…but it’s not… So, this one is on a Saturday as well, the after-school program is good about scheduling meetings outside of working hours at least. However it happens to be Graduation day at my base school...anyway we work out another day to meet. I felt bad that my JTE had to give up part of her Saturday to help me, but I didn’t have much of a choice. Basically this meeting was covering the rules, costs and supplies C would need for the after-school care. This meeting took 3 hours and then there was coffee/tea and snack afterwards. It was a nice gesture of hospitality, so please don’t get me wrong when I say….why did it have to take 3 hours?? I don’t know! It could have easily been done in an hour in my opinion…
Meeting 4 – This is another elementary school meeting where you order school supplies, uniforms, etc…You will get an order form in the mail. This meeting is during the week and lasts 3-4 hours. Depending on your school you may or may not have uniforms (most elementary schools in Japan do not), C’s does. So – there are 2 copies of each order form, I thought one was for my use, one to turn in, so I translated and wrote all over one copy, but…apparently not, the school needs both. oops!. You need to fill out both copies and then the school will make another copy. ?? I don’t know why so many copies are needed. C’s elementary school actually had a translator from the local BOE come out to help me for this meeting which was amazingly thoughtful of them. The kids went off and explored the school, sat in a classroom for a bit while the parents were told about the school supplies (the ones not listed on the order forms) that each child would need. Let me tell you – they are extensive!!! I’ve got a running excel documents of school expenses that I will upload once I have completed school supply shopping. There will also be vendors there from the uniform companies with samples so your kid can try on the Jackets, hats, shorts, gym uniform, etc…and you can order the right size Aside from the uniform itself, pretty much everything else can be found at a local store…I’ve notated this on that excel file I mentioned. The biggest thing I need to mention here is ORDER THE PRE-PRINTED NAME STICKERS!!! Everything – down to every little counting chip and dice in the math set (which has probably 200 pcs) – has to have your child’s name on it. EVERYTHING!! Each crayon, the box lid and base, Every pencil, eraser…etc…it’s pretty intense. You do not want to have to write your child’s name that many times, on teeny tiny little stickers. There will be certain things you must order from the school – for example, the uniform and that math set I mentioned above. But check Amazon or your local store for the other stuff, I’ve found it’s usually cheaper. A lot of the small things can be purchased at the ¥100 store. I did not have to pay for the ordered school supplies at this point in time. This was also the meeting where I met another parent who speaks English fluently and she offered to help me out if I had any questions! Hurray! She even asked the principle if her child and mine could be in the same class. Double hurray!!!
Meeting 5 – ** Update - yes, this took about 10 minutes and it was just pay and pickup the items we had ordered.
This meeting is next week – so I will update this post after I have attended it, but I have been told it is a ‘shopping day’ from 3-4 pm. From what I understand this is the day that we pay and pick up all the things we ordered from meeting 4. This is also during the week – but luckily, it happens to be a test day at my school, so I have been told that if I come in an hour early it won’t be a problem to leave an hour early. My nenkyuu is in short supply, and what I do have left is needed for C’s entrance ceremony and graduation from daycare ceremony.
****NOTE: I have been told by a Japanese mother that I need a white suit for the elementary entrance ceremony (only 1st grade mom’s need a white suit) – I found one at the department store but it was ¥10,200 yen!! (three pieces; cropped jacket, white skirt, black dress). Surprisingly it’s very cute, but expensive for a suit I will have little occasion to wear again. I expected the suit, because it’s a formal occasion, but I did not know it had to be white…so consider yourself forewarned!! You will see a whole section of white suits in the department stores starting in February or so. They will probably not be for sale after mid-march, so it is best to get one while you can…also they come in a limited number of sizes on the rack, so you may have to shop around a bit depending on your body type.
The children (if they have uniforms) wear their uniforms for the entrance ceremony – however, if your school does not have uniforms, the child is expected to wear a suit, or formal dress - so I’ve been told. Please be sure to ask someone what the appropriate dress code is, because it is likely that nobody will think to mention it since it is common cultural knowledge to the Japanese. Another unexpected expense…
I was very upset to see that most parents were just wearing their black or grey suits....I suggest using the 'gaijin card' in situation such as these because I wasn't happy when I saw that not everyone was in a white suit (like I was told they would be)...however I suppose the silver lining is that I have used the suit more than once for entrance ceremony, photos at school, open school day, and some other days where the dress/jacket was very appropriate...so not a complete waste of money.
**I found it easier to print my own name stickers for all the things C needs at school. First of all, C's name was misspelled on the ones we had ordered, but also, there weren't enough for all the things we had to label. So I printed my own and was able to make lots more stickers. I even added Pokemon because I could and C loves Pokemon! I will try to share the file if I can figure out a way.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
A Child's Stress
So I've underestimated how tiring it is to live in a foreign country
with a child, work, ride a bike, especially during winter. Therefore I
have many posts I've wanted to write, but have not gotten around to
doing so. I'm going to start posting a back-log of blog posts starting
now. This post was originally written in October...
I'm excited to hear from C's hoikuen that he's already started saying a few words in Japanese. Mostly, asking if he can have more food, water, if he can use the toilet, and will you play with me. I'm so happy that he is picking up words quickly, and though he was shy at first about using Japanese, now he seems to understand that if he wants something he needs to ask for it in Japanese, so he's picked up those phrases quickly. I'm also surprised at how quickly he's adapted to eating the Japanese lunch provided by the daycare. He loves miso soup! and with his chopsticks (still learning to use them) he couldn't wait to show me how he can eat rice...
However, there are days when C says he hates it here and he wants to go back to the US. I think I underestimated just how difficult an adjustment it would be for him. Everyone says how adaptable kids are, and it's true, but there is no way of knowing exactly how each child will react to the stress of a completely new environment. C has been screaming like he did when he was 2, sometimes he just gets so frustrated and he can't find the words he wants so he just yells. Last night was just one of those nights, we stayed up a bit later (my first mistake) to have a pizza and movie and snuggle-up on the sofa...but as soon as the movie was over he melted down when I told him it was time to brush his teeth. It was completely out of the blue, but ended up with him screaming, him saying I hated him and him sobbing so hard he was gulping air. Poor kiddo....after he calmed down, I rocked him and asked him more about school, and that's when he told me he got a time out for wrestling with another kid. Normally that wouldn't phase him, but with everything else, it just made him completely upset and he didn't know how to express it. He never did brush his teeth (oops), but fell asleep shortly after I rocked him. I don't want to make anyone scared to bring their child overseas, but just wanted to prepare you for the difficulties you and your child may face.
That being said - today was a great day! C told me how excited he was for Undokai (sports day) this saturday, and how much he's been practicing. He said they've been making posters and signs and stuff, and showed me part of the flag dance. Today was a good day and he's excited to go to school tomorrow...just goes to show you, though kids are adaptable, they get stressed and don't know how to handle it. I suspect we'll have good and bad days for awhile longer.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Don't Give Up!!!
Sorry for the length of time between posts - it's been quite the whirlwind of a month. Has it really only been a month, it feels like three. Finally heard from my BOE, we will be going to Kurashiki City in Okayama Prefecture. I am so excited. However, we have been running hurtles trying to sort out details. There are several JET couples in Okayama, however I am the first JET with a child the prefecture has welcomed, so it's been a learning experience for everyone. The following is only meant to communicate the difficulties I faced and the amount of stress one can possibly expect (of course ESID) to face. Please understand that the BOE, the JET program of Okayama, and the community have bent over backwards to help me solve all of these difficulties. The circumstances were difficult, but all of us worked together to solve them, and for that I am most truly thankful to everyone!
Finding a long term boarding facility for the cat:
I have called about 30 different vets and boarding facilities and either they won't board a cat for that long or I got quotes from $500-1000 per month. I can't afford that - and they all want the entire 5 months payments upfront. I literally sat in my car during lunch for 3 days sobbing on the phone with places asking if they knew anyone, anyone at all who would consider taking a cat in for 5 months. None of my family or friends are able to take her, many wished they could, but cannot for various reasons. I have 5 weeks to find somewhere, otherwise we may not be able to go to Japan.
Hoikuen:
I first got an email from the prefecture saying that they are looking forward to welcoming me and my son to Okayama prefecture, however daycare in Japan is in high demand and they are unable to find a spot for my son. period. They are all full. I translate this as: We cannot go to Japan.
So I took to Facebook and posted a plea to have anyone help me that was already in Okayama. Can I just say that the ex-pat community in Okayama is awesome! I had no less than 4 people helping me find daycare, answering questions, calling the childcare division at city hall and calming me down as I'm panicking because I'm thinking we aren't able to go after all that hard work. A good friend found my son a spot in a daycare and the BOE got him enrolled! One hurtle down. We're going to Japan in 4 weeks!
Travel:
I then find out that the daycare is 30 minutes away by bike. Unfortunately my schools are 15 minutes from the apartment in the complete opposite direction. Making my commute time an hour and 15 minutes by bike to my two main schools. I'm either going to be really fit and strong or need to buy a car (which I was hoping to avoid). Plus one of my visiting schools is a 40 minute bus ride plus a 20 minute uphill walk. So every Monday I would have to drop C off at daycare at 6 am. The daycare doesn't open until 6:30. I translate this as: We cannot go to Japan.
My BOE understood this dilemma and has adjusted my start time at that school so I can drop C off at a more reasonable hour. Perhaps not ideal, but I can work with it. We're going to Japan!
Cat:
I tried to ask in the politest way if it would be possible to bring the cat. I knew from talking with my predecessor that a previous tenant had a dog, so I thought it was reasonable to assume pets were okay. I got an email back saying pets are not allowed. I translate this as: We cannot go to Japan.
So I google Okayama pet apartments, and using google translate manage to find 2 apartments that allow pets, one very near where the current apartment is, and one nearer to the daycare. So I email the links to the BOE to see if I am allowed to move apartments. I then get a email back saying that pets are actually okay in the current apartment, so no need to move. (with a nice apology). We are going to Japan! I just need to find somewhere for the cat to stay for 5 months until we can return at christmas to get her.
Lucky Break!
I didn't just find one place for the cat, I found 2! A very nice family has offered to keep her for 5 months, and I found a pet sitter that was willing to board her for a very reasonable fee. I haven't completely decided who she will stay with, but we have had a home visit with both, and Elouise gets along very well with the other animals at both homes. Two more weeks and we're going to Japan!
So, yes, it has been very stressful. I think I lost about 5 lbs in a week because I couldn't eat or sleep. However, I didn't give up - and it has paid off! I even went on an interview for a new job here in Dallas thinking that we weren't going. But here we are! My utmost gratitude to the people who have helped me overcome all of these hurtles and answered question and helped to calm me down. I don't know that I could have done all of it without their help. I can't wait to meet these people and thank them in person.
Finding a long term boarding facility for the cat:
I have called about 30 different vets and boarding facilities and either they won't board a cat for that long or I got quotes from $500-1000 per month. I can't afford that - and they all want the entire 5 months payments upfront. I literally sat in my car during lunch for 3 days sobbing on the phone with places asking if they knew anyone, anyone at all who would consider taking a cat in for 5 months. None of my family or friends are able to take her, many wished they could, but cannot for various reasons. I have 5 weeks to find somewhere, otherwise we may not be able to go to Japan.
Hoikuen:
I first got an email from the prefecture saying that they are looking forward to welcoming me and my son to Okayama prefecture, however daycare in Japan is in high demand and they are unable to find a spot for my son. period. They are all full. I translate this as: We cannot go to Japan.
So I took to Facebook and posted a plea to have anyone help me that was already in Okayama. Can I just say that the ex-pat community in Okayama is awesome! I had no less than 4 people helping me find daycare, answering questions, calling the childcare division at city hall and calming me down as I'm panicking because I'm thinking we aren't able to go after all that hard work. A good friend found my son a spot in a daycare and the BOE got him enrolled! One hurtle down. We're going to Japan in 4 weeks!
Travel:
I then find out that the daycare is 30 minutes away by bike. Unfortunately my schools are 15 minutes from the apartment in the complete opposite direction. Making my commute time an hour and 15 minutes by bike to my two main schools. I'm either going to be really fit and strong or need to buy a car (which I was hoping to avoid). Plus one of my visiting schools is a 40 minute bus ride plus a 20 minute uphill walk. So every Monday I would have to drop C off at daycare at 6 am. The daycare doesn't open until 6:30. I translate this as: We cannot go to Japan.
My BOE understood this dilemma and has adjusted my start time at that school so I can drop C off at a more reasonable hour. Perhaps not ideal, but I can work with it. We're going to Japan!
Cat:
I tried to ask in the politest way if it would be possible to bring the cat. I knew from talking with my predecessor that a previous tenant had a dog, so I thought it was reasonable to assume pets were okay. I got an email back saying pets are not allowed. I translate this as: We cannot go to Japan.
So I google Okayama pet apartments, and using google translate manage to find 2 apartments that allow pets, one very near where the current apartment is, and one nearer to the daycare. So I email the links to the BOE to see if I am allowed to move apartments. I then get a email back saying that pets are actually okay in the current apartment, so no need to move. (with a nice apology). We are going to Japan! I just need to find somewhere for the cat to stay for 5 months until we can return at christmas to get her.
Lucky Break!
I didn't just find one place for the cat, I found 2! A very nice family has offered to keep her for 5 months, and I found a pet sitter that was willing to board her for a very reasonable fee. I haven't completely decided who she will stay with, but we have had a home visit with both, and Elouise gets along very well with the other animals at both homes. Two more weeks and we're going to Japan!
So, yes, it has been very stressful. I think I lost about 5 lbs in a week because I couldn't eat or sleep. However, I didn't give up - and it has paid off! I even went on an interview for a new job here in Dallas thinking that we weren't going. But here we are! My utmost gratitude to the people who have helped me overcome all of these hurtles and answered question and helped to calm me down. I don't know that I could have done all of it without their help. I can't wait to meet these people and thank them in person.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Stressing
So normally I'm a very easygoing kind of person. Right now, I'm completely off the wall stressed out. I haven't heard from my BOE (Board of Education) yet, so I don't know if my cat can go with us to Japan, and I don't know where we'll be living in a month and a half. Seriously stressing out about all the unknowns right now. I have to submit the 40 days advance notification to the Japanese Quarantine Services this week and I haven't been contacted by my BOE yet. I'm pushing ahead as if I'll be able to bring the cat (Elouise) because I don't know what else to do. I know many housing options don't allow pets, but I'm crossing my fingers I will be one of the lucky ones.
Other considerations for bringing a pet are: boarding in Houston during the pre-departure orientation, boarding at Narita Airport for the 4 days of Tokyo Orientation, and paying the pet deposit fees for all the flights as well as for the apartment. I can't bear to think of what I might have to do if I cannot bring her with us. My son would be crushed. She has been nicknamed 'Little Sister' because they are so close and act like siblings. I have put out a FB message last week to my friends asking if anyone could care for her, but so far no luck. I've even looked into long term boarding options as a last resort, but I cannot afford the $425/month price.
I'm at a loss as to what to do until I hear from my BOE...hoping I'll hear from them by the end of the week. sigh....
Other considerations for bringing a pet are: boarding in Houston during the pre-departure orientation, boarding at Narita Airport for the 4 days of Tokyo Orientation, and paying the pet deposit fees for all the flights as well as for the apartment. I can't bear to think of what I might have to do if I cannot bring her with us. My son would be crushed. She has been nicknamed 'Little Sister' because they are so close and act like siblings. I have put out a FB message last week to my friends asking if anyone could care for her, but so far no luck. I've even looked into long term boarding options as a last resort, but I cannot afford the $425/month price.
I'm at a loss as to what to do until I hear from my BOE...hoping I'll hear from them by the end of the week. sigh....
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