For those doing this with kids...

[Peikko 1,575]

Instead of filling up the AOS thread with stuff about this, I thought I would start another thread for those that are doing this with children.

Of course, this is my experience in California and other states will have different requirements.

Anyway, as stated in the other thread, things I didn't know about the requirements for school before I actually tried to register my son:

He needed a chicken pox vaccination (this is not one of the immigration required ones)

The TB test for California must be correctly dated, and by preference performed in California. The actual test was around $19 dollars but the clinic visit was around $40.

I could have waited and had some of the costs re imbursed if I had gone through my husband's medical insurance policy, but for me the most important thing is getting my son settled into a routine of going to school so I chose to pay this time.

So, this is his first day of school. Unlike in the UK, school here starts at 8.00 a.m and there is no school uniform! We shall see how this works out.

Luckily for me, his school is in walking distance so I don't have to worry about getting buses etc which is great.

[Alison 0]

Well as for the Michigan schools, I haven't asked about the vaccinations but I do know we have to have the Varicella ones although my two have had chicken pox. So far, as they are attending special needs schools. Dominic's school is just up the road from where we will be staying and they have nursery/pre-school which is just perfect and Claire's school is the car job, so Scott's mom will take me there with Claire and I walk Dom to nursery. I've sent their Special Needs paperwork to what they can do and their targets their achieving to the Principals so that they know what programmes they will have done for them when we arrive. These schools too don't wear uniforms and starts early too which I think is a little early.

Alison.

[Badgerbabe 0]

This is a great thread for new people arriving or looking to arrive with children of school age because I could not find any info on this when I was looking before I came here !

Think yourself lucky that their school starts at 8am - my son's middle school - they have to be there to start for 7.45 !

My son was 11 when we came and I emailed the principal of the local school and she advised me that as he would be resident in the area all we would need to do is go down there and fill out some paperwork and they didn't require visa copies or SSN.

We had to fill out a vaccination supplement - he'd already had chicken pox so he needed a TB test and Hep B which he would need for AOS anyway.

We got these done at the local County Immunization clinics which were really cheap. Can't remember how much the TB test was but the shots were $3 donation each.

I did give his teacher copies of his last English report and some books of work so that she could see what he had been covering which she found useful.

The only thing he had difficulties with is learning Spanish as the others had been doing it from 1st grade and getting used to feet/inches and pounds/ounces ! He's ahead though in metric though !

He entered in G5 but his birthday was towards the end of the school year so his teacher suggested he do G5 again as he didn't do a full year.

He did this and now is at middle school in G6 and is now one of the oldest n the class which has helped him a lot.

[Welshcookie 17]

This is an interesting thread....

My son had Chicken Pox last month.....he is my 3rd child so I didn't bother taking him to the doctors.....should I have got it noted in his medical notes do you think? I don't see the point of him having to have a vaccination as he has had this disease....but then again, maybe it's too late now for me to do that.....he won't be attending school in the US for another couple of years.

Also..we have been thinking of getting him Spanish lessons while he is here in the uk so he will have a grasp of the language....

Edited February 6, 2006 by welshcookie

[Peikko 1,575]

Hmm, interesting re chicken pox as the Dr who administered my son's shot was kinda suprised he hadn't had it already. I think the best thing to do is when you have the school organised, contact them directly and ask the best way of showing the things they require.

I was told to bring his vaccination chart and the TB test with my original enquiry, and you are correct in saying that the Heb B is a requirement for children for AOS. However, I guess because I assumed the immigration requirements would be the same as the school requirements I didn't actually enquire what they were looking for.

Anyway, back to his first day at school. His teacher was extremely nice and friendly and showed me his classroom and his desk. The school is open plan (very unlike his UK school)

He seems to have already made some friends, including a 'girl friend'.

Another difference, the US make a lot of the Valentine holiday and he has to make a little box containing a card for each of his class mates. There is also more homework than I was anticipating.

Another intesting difference, and one that I am glad about, is that his new school do not encourage joined up writing at his age. It was one thing that I really didn't like about his old school, but of course he is so used to doing it that it will take a while to make the change.

All in all, seems to have been a success!

[Alison 0]

Well my son (who is my third child too) was 3 and last summer just after he finished school for the summer holidays and before his 4th birthday, he got chicken pox but didn't think it was necessary to have him checked out at the doctors cause I already knew what it was. But there was some other kids in his nursery class that just had it so it was his turn.

As for vaccinations, the Principal of the school that Claire's going to, well her secretary told me in an email that Claire had to have them all, she's having her last Hep B injection before we leave. As for the varicella one, she said that Claire was waived from having the vaccine cause I told her that Claire would be 10 in July and she had chicken pox when she was 3. So looks like Claire's okay with that one

Alison.

[Welshcookie 17]

Another intesting difference, and one that I am glad about, is that his new school do not encourage joined up writing at his age. It was one thing that I really didn't like about his old school, but of course he is so used to doing it that it will take a while to make the change.

All in all, seems to have been a success!

Glad to hear it all went well!!

I too have never understood the whole 'joined up writing' thing....it is often painful watching him trying to connect all his letters...I am sure it takes him twice as long to write and justs ends up looking scrawly

[Jaylen Brit 0]

I've told mine all about the earlier start at school which she's KIND of ok with as it means an earlier finish - and of course she gets to ride in a school bus! lol

From what my SO has managed to gather info wise (as his kids go the same school she will go to - elementary for about a year before she needs to go to midle school), she will be ahead in most subjects.

I was worried about her getting bored in class or lazy but the school have told him as she seems to be ahead of her US age group (apparently Ive been told that her age in the UK are generally ahead in studies as they have a different emphasis on learning in the US - and the middle school is more intensive whereas in the UK the junior/elementary school as pushing hard), then she can go to a group inside the school that can keep her busy.

I'm hoping this is the case as she currently has a reading age of around 13 and maths level around 12 (she's almost 10). I'd hate her to get lazy or smug about it or lose the progress she's made from her UK school.

She's also had chicken pox (she had it abouta ge 4 and gave it to ME! ) but the hepB and tb she won't have had. I'm going to see if I can get those done in the UK - altho from what veryone is saying it might be more sensible to wait and have it done by her school district/local center.

We've been practising words that americans spell differently and also terms they use that differ from the English ones (like chips = fries and crisps=chips etc)

Any other tips anyone has for preparing a child to go to a US school would be helpeful

[dmd01708 3]

I got an email from the school my son will be going to in NY (he is in year 9 here in the uk) and the Super intendant just said all I had to do was bring his vaccine records along with his newest school report and then they would assess him to see if he should be going up to high school this fall or if they will keep him back a grade (he dont mind this as most of his mates in NY are in grade 7 at the moment)

Donna

[Peikko 1,575]

I would just check which vaccines they require just to be on the safe side, as they are not necessarily the same ones as either immigration or UK requirements. I had all my son's shot records and that still wasn't enough, but hey, he's in school now and so far seems to be doing well.

Another difference, they have way more homework at his school than he did in the UK and the maths is more complicated, or at least is taught differently. I am sure he will adapt, but I am definitely not getting the feeling that his education is going to suffer from being in the US!

Another huge difference is the holidays. There are several one off days like this coming Monday (pres Lincoln's birthday) but no half terms. They get a week at Easter, then school's out for summer on 16th June and they don't go back until Sept 7thish. My major concern now is, if I do get a work permit, how am I going to afford the child care for when my son isn't in school?

Maybe I am just going to become a stay at home mom for a while longer than I anticipated

[geordieluvr 1]

I am so glad someone started this thread. My fiance moved here with his 2 sons ages 13 and 16 and we just got married November 18. The school thing was such a nightmare. I do think it is easier for the younger kids ie. elemetary and jr.high. The high school has been the one to give us the most hassel. I have also realised that UK and US schools are TOTALLY different. The boys are not used to so much homework and that it actually counts towards your grade and whether or not you pass.

[litlemo-nosleep 0]

Geordieluvr:-

It may sound silly sayin it this way but i'm pleased to hear that my daughter isn't the only one finding high school a bit of a challenge.

My son is 13 and goes to middle school here and he is finding it rather easy but my 15 year old daughter is in high school and she cant seem to comprehend the homework thing either as being part of the grades and counting towards a pass of fail.

They weren't used to much homework in England, so its a big change for her, the schools here do everything so differently than in the Uk

[mrswooten4ever 0]

Hi

I have 2 children aged 14 and 15( going on 16). My son has special needs so we thought it best to start researching schools before we got there. Fortunately for us the school that Mike's children attend has an excellent special needs programme. The special education supervisor and Principal were delighted that somebody from the UK would consider their school and that we took the time to come and see them. We got a tour of the whole campus and what they advised us to do was ,even if we only get there for the last 2 weeks of the school year to bring the kids over so they can be assessed and get them settled before the summer break. The Principal also said that they had another family there from the UK and when they assessed the children they were found to be about 2 years ahead academically. He also said that high school children here have a much heavier work load even though they get more homework ,as my daughter is doing around 15 subjects and I think do less than 10. They also work on a credits system not like the old day were u had to do x number of subjects to get your high school diploma. So all in all other than the cultural differnces kids from the UK shouldn't find it too difficult to adapt to schools in America.

Adele

[wally 0]

Hey, I'm glad to see this thread. My son went into grade 5 with no problems..just had to catch up a little on American history. My daughter is a sophomore at high school. It is a difficult transition for her cause Ontario uses the semester (what they call "block" here) system and she had to change over to the 'traditional' program. She's only just moved as she waited until the semester was completed in Ontario in order to get all her credits. We currently working on ensuring she obtains all the appropriate credits to not only graduate high school but also meet the requirements for colleges here. The curriculum is different then the one we were used to and I can safely guess she is much more advanced in some classes such as French and Math but has no US History. The grading system is also different. We're still waiting for that to be re-formatted.

[Mickndarcyjo 0]

On a slightly different note from this American's point of view....I brought my 4 children to the U.K. two years ago, and now we're in the process of going back to the States. I have to confess that I'm hesitant to take them back, as the education system seems so much better over here in the U.K. My children are ages 12, 9, 6, and 4. I truly feel that taking them back to the States will hinder their educational development. But on the other hand, family is important when raising children as well, and in the States, my parents and siblings will be there...Hope I'm doing the right thing!!