After registering dd10 on Sunday morning – a process that I felt was a bit too drawn out for what needed to be done, but at least it was done when I left the building –  I went to the boy’s school to register ds5 and ds12.  It was supposed to be less than a ten minute walk away, but I’ve noticed something about Israelis – they tend to be not very good at giving directions.

As I was getting directions to the school, I thought I’d just ask someone when I was somewhat closer and thought I’d probably see obvious signs of the school, since I knew what street it was on, and how to find the street.   But as I got to the street and walked all the way until the end without seeing any hint of a school, there were hardly any people out to ask, and I spent the next hour and a half walking back and forth, up and down flights of stairs, trying to find the building.

I finally gave up and went home, then called the school secretary to find out how to get there and what time she’d be in until.  She said she’d only be there for a short time more, so I told her I’d come in the next morning.  In the meantime, I spent the day trying to get hold of the principal by phone.

Bright and early the next morning, I left (another) message with the principal saying that in case he was there, I was bringing ds12 because I understood an interview was a prerequisite to being accepted, and then set out with ds12 and ds5.  This time I had better instructions, so I was able to find the school for ds5.  But I got there and the gate was locked, with no way to get in.  I rattled the gate but no one came out; that was kind of a problem because the plan was the teacher of ds5’s program would tell me how to get to the school that I was afraid would continue to elude me.

Without any directions, I wasn’t optimistic about finding the building, but we went up and down the street it was supposed to be on – again.  This time, though, we heard the faint shouts of children at play, and we followed our ears until we came to the school!  As soon as I saw it, it was obvious why I couldn’t find it – both schools (for ds5 and ds12) have street addresses, but neither are located on the street.  You get to them by unmarked staircases that lead to unmarked paths between the streets – there’s really nothing helpful to get you there for the first time.

We go into the school, where ds5 meets some friends in older grades and ds12 is likewise greeted by new friends while I’m in the office.  I was told when we got there that the principal would be too busy to meet with ds12 that morning, and to come back the next morning for an interview.  I asked the principal how he would conduct an interview if he didn’t speak English and ds12 didn’t speak Hebrew, and he agreed that it was slightly problematic.  He said he would ask one of the grade school students who spoke English to come in and translate, but feeling that wasn’t a good idea, I suggested my husband come along and be the translator.

So I told the secretary that I wanted to complete the registration for ds5 while I was there.  I gave her my ID and she got out the paperwork, then sat back down, and asked me what grade he was going into.  (I had previously told her.)  When I responded, she told me that for that particular age  and only for that age, I couldn’t do the registration at the school office, but needed to go to the Ministry of Education and get it taken care of there.  Immediately, of course.  🙂

Although I had planned to go to the Ministry of Absorption after completing enrollment because they needed my signature on something important, off I went to the Ministry Department of Education at the municipality.  (I’m doing a LOT of walking.)  When I got there, the person in the office I was supposed to speak to wasn’t there, and the two women replacing her told me that I couldn’t do registration at their office, that I needed to go to the school.  I showed them the form the secretary gave me, and they had no idea what to do with it.  So they told me to come back at 4 pm that day when the person who was supposed to be there, would be there.

Dh went back later in the day to the Department of Education (because after spending hours that morning trying to deal with it, I was tired and not up for another trip there the same day), and the person in charge was there but still didn’t know what to do.  So I suggested that dh ask the secretary about it the next morning when he took ds12 to his interview.

Fortunately, the secretary had told me that ds5 could start the next morning (Tues) even if the paperwork wasn’t completed, which was good because he was chomping at the bit and raring to go!  He was so excited that he had a hard time falling asleep, and then woke up very early the next morning, repeatedly asking me when he could leave to school.     I took him in and stayed for 40 minutes to see how things were going, but as I knew he would be, he was totally fine.  There was one boy from an English speaking home whom he was introduced to soon after he got there, but when I went to pick him up, the teacher told me that he went on to play with Hebrew speaking kids and she was very impressed by how quickly and easily he acclimated.

I’m so grateful that ds has the sunny and friendly nature that he does, because I knew it would make his transition from home to school much easier – he’s in his element when he’s around lots of friends and lots of activity.  We still haven’t gotten his paperwork completed, since the secretary can’t understand how no one at the Department of Education is able to handle a standard registration for kindergarten, but dh will be going back again tomorrow to both the school office and the Ministry of Education and hopefully that can be finished up tomorrow.

Meanwhile, we were working on the enrollment for ds12…..

Avivah