A Local Primary school...

It's been a little while since I've done a 'personal' post.  I just wanted to tell you about my 6 year old daughters school in an ordinary small town in France.

Alicia is in CP - which is the first year of obligatory education in France (though everybody goes to school at 3 years in fact..)

• She goes to school Mon Tues Thurs & Friday from 0845hrs - 1145hrs and 1345hrs to 1645hrs - and she stays for lunch at the cantine for Euro3.50 a day.
• There is extra study each day from 1645hrs to 1745hrs for kids to do their homework which is free if you want to send them.
• Can put your child in the garderie too from 0730hrs and until 1830hrs and this costs Euro1.45 a go or Euro2.50 a day.
• Alicia goes to the swimming pool weekly for one trimester a year.
• There are 20 children in Alicia's class.
• On Monday and Thursday nights she does a drama / music club which is run by an association and costs Euro12 a year.
• On Wednesdays we go along to the bilingual club: http://piglanguedoc.blogspot.com/
• They have an English class for 20 minutes a week.
• At the beginning of the year I bought about Euro10 worth of books / folders / pens / glues etc (they give you a list)  and a rucksack for Euro20
• They are currently training for a cross country race!
• They have an annual visit from a nurse... checking vaccinations, eyes, teeth and so on... (probably mostly for nits!)
• There is the equivalent of a lolly pop lady in the road outside in the morning and evening to stop passing traffic.
• She has about 10 mins of homework every night.
• Every month she brings home ALL of her workbooks and we have to go through as parents and sign that we have seen the work.
• During the holidays, there are activities: for example this March, on Monday she can do acrobatics, Tuesday visit to the snow in the mountains, Wednesday ice skating, Thursday a visit to the local indoor play park and the swimming pool and Friday: horse riding - the mountain trip is Euro20 and the others are Euro13 a day - picnics required everyday.
• The school is 1.5km from us, we asked to be moved to a nearer school and were refused by the mairie.
• It's normal to take a cake (they often ask for shop bought to avoid allergy problems) and juice for your child's birthday.

I can't think of anything else immediately - but will add here when I think of anything...