Escuela Daze

All of us will be in school this year. Victor will study Spanish at the Venezuela-North American Cultural Center. The University School, CEAPULA, will have two new students as Anson enters 5th grade and Risa 1st. I am working at the University of the Andes, where I will start to co-teach a course on gender and human rights in October and other duties as assigned, dividing time between the school of Juridical and Political Science and the School Of Humanities And Education. All of this has become possible from the generous commitment of time from the director of CEVAM and my university liaison.

I am proud of Risa and Anson for tackling school in Spanish. The first month will be a struggle. The kids will start school knowing numbers in Spanish up to 1000, the letters of the alphabet, greeting questions, the basic school vocabulary (they’ll know when to get their cuadernos out, por lo menos.), and Anson will be able to read. But that's it. I pass on to them the wisdom of another Fulbright mama: by Christmas, they'll be dreaming in Spanish. This will be the end of the primary reason Victor and I have used Spanish in the home to this point: to talk about the kids so they can't understand what we're saying.

The kids both look forward to wearing a school uniform, but for different reasons. Risa appreciates that the clothing requirement involves new shoes, while Anson looks forward to the streamlined elegance and egalitarianism of a single daily uniform. School starts for them - we think - on Risa's birthday.