Précoce Gasperich

We enrolled Otto (in person at the Ministry of Education) for the Luxembourgish preschool here in Gasperich called Précoce. A few days later, we received the below letter in the mail, which essentially tells us he was accepted, and what days and times his précoce classes will be. 

A few weeks later, we received the below letter in the mail, which basically tells me where to bring Otto on what day and to be sure to bring this yellow paper with me. 

It started today. Ben walked him to school at 8:45 a.m. after I said a tearful goodbye to my little three-year-old. He agreed to smile for a picture and then Ben coaxed him down the stairs and street with the promise of seeing a tractor on the three-block-walk to school. 

His teacher's name is Tess. She's a tough cookie; no nonsense, but highly recommended. 
He has a little cubby and a hook for his backpack and shoes with a little label on them that he can recognize reads Otto. 

The classroom is big, bright, and lovely. He immediately started exploring and making himself comfortable. 

The Précoce schedule is: 

M/W/F
9-11:40 am
2-4 pm

T/TH
9-11:40 am

When I picked him up at 11:40 a.m., he ran to me smiling and gave me the biggest hug I've ever received. We walked straight to the park where he had a giant melt down about how I wasn't pushing him high enough on the swings. Super rewarding. 

I was only planning on sending him in the morning but after lunch and a rest, he declared himself ready to play with the other children, so I walked him back. He was reluctant as soon as we arrived and asked that I stay. 

A half hour later, I heard children playing in the park across the street and glanced out the kitchen window and saw Otto's class playing. It was hard to watch him. I know he's young. I know it was the first day. I know he doesn't speak Luxembourgish. I know most of the children have played together for years in crèche but it still broke my heart to see him so solitary among a group of children. 

I was texting Ben the play-by-play of all my observations when I realized I was dangerously close to emulating Mrs. Goldberg, so I forced myself away from the window until I picked him up at 4 pm. This time, he told me school was too long. I agreed. 

We visited with the Rodriguez family for a few minutes and then Otto and Aksel ran around on the schools grounds for nearly an hour until I coaxed them to walk home and get ready for dinner. 

I was fascinated by the amount of parents (mothers and fathers) who were able to pick up their children from school and by how many children have rolling backpacks. 

It's wonderful to live in such a child and family-friendly environment.

School supply list (Matériel schfblaire): 

sac à dos (backpack)
Boite à collation (snack box)
Tablier à manches longues (long sleeved smock)
Classeur DinA4 (A4 binder)
Pritt (big glue stick)
Pantoufles (slippers)
Goblet (cup)
Vêtements de rechange: slip, pantalon, chaussettes, pullover et T-shirt (change of clothes)

Additionally, each day I pack a snack for Otto in his backpack. The school was very specific that the snack should not be suckers, chips, chocolate, lemonade, or coke. The preference is spreads, fruits, vegetables, and water. 

required slippers

gym shoes

Elise Smith and I texted back and forth all afternoon, and I was grateful. She knows exactly what it's like to be here, living in this house, sending a son to preschool for the first time in a foreign country, watching them play out her kitchen window and wondering if and how he's handling it all.  

I thought our preschool experience would be a different one.  A more familiar one. With more English. But I have a good feeling about the short walk to school holding hands, about Tess, and about seeing a different Otto out my kitchen window a year from now.