Creative mommies and mommies-to-be, unite and write!

You don’t have to be a writer to join our group.

The only requirement is that you are a mother or a mother-to-be who wants to share her experiences, thoughts, anecdotes, fears, joys, frustrations about motherhood.

The aim of this writing group is to create a sense of community and support and a
place where you will feel comfortable to express yourself.

Our meetings will be held at Le Bookshop, 8 rue du Bras de Fer (Montpellier center-Ecusson). The day and time will be agreed upon everyone’s availability.

For information contact Eve Tsirigotaki:

mobile: 06 58 27 39 54

email: april446@yahoo.com

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...

Break down the language barriers

Expat Anthea Rowan on the many benefits of learning a new language.

On some level, even if they don’t immerse themselves in two languages but are merely exposed to a second, half of the world’s population conducts life in more than just their mother tongue.

Research indicates that babies as young as four months who live in bilingual environments can distinguish between two languages, by reading lip movement and facial expressions, and they show a strong preference for the language their mother spoke during pregnancy.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/expateducation/8278229/Break-down-the-language-barriers.html

Shorter days at school planned

SHORTER summer holidays, shorter days and a five-day school week are planned in the new report on the school year that has been handed to education minister Luc Chatel. Just two years after the present rythmes scolaires were imposed in the rentrée in 2008, the committee said the present school day was “too tiring” for pupils. It made for an exhausting school week that gave pupils too heavy a workload. There was also no good reason for the first term being so long.

Read more: http://www.connexionfrance.com/School-week-tiring-pupils-workload-rythmes-scolaires-Chatel-Wednesday-12442-view-article.html

10 things to know about raising kids in France

It's just across the Channel and a favourite destination for family holidays. But how easy is it to relocate to France? Tamsyn, who blogs at Anecdotes of a Manic Mum, moved there with her husband and three children, and now has four. She's learned a thing or three about raising a family en France.

Having decided to quit England’s pastures’ green in 2006, with my son, 2 ¾, my daughter 16 months, and my daughter of 7 weeks…a few weeks later we hit the road, and 48 hours later, several ‘brink-of-divorce’ conversations, driving on the wrong side of the road, and not being able to communicate with a soul (no, I spoke not a word of French on arrival) later, we are in La France…I now have 4 kids, and an inkling of 10 things that you should know about raising kids in France.

Read more: http://www.bmbblog.co.uk/2011/01/guest-blog-10-things-to-know-about-raising-kids-in-france.html

Parents call for boycott of tests

THE largest parents’ federation is calling for a boycott on tests to be held in the last year of primary school (CM2) next week. The FCPE says the start-of-year tests for the CM2 classes, launched three years ago, are a “profound mistake”. A spokesman said: “It is not acceptable for children to be evaluated on things they have not been taught yet.” They are asking their members to write to schools saying they refuse to have their children’s results passed to the government.

Read more: http://www.connexionfrance.com/Parents-federation-boycott-CM2-tests-Chatel-FCPE-12421-view-article.html

Eating out with kids in Montpellier

Check out the new pirate themed restaurant at the Odysseum just outside of Montpellier

Website here:

http://www.pirates-paradise.fr/