First Day of School, (August 11th, 2008)

The first day of school is about hope and faith in a new school year. A year when you anticipate learning a lot from your teachers, making new friends and having new experiences. For Justine, Kyara, Matteya, Ariel and Mia, seen above, this school year, 2008 - 2009, will be a school year that will more than meet these expectations.

(Above: The Wendling girls are ready for their first day of school at GSIS.)
(Above: Ariel gets ready for Grade 1.)

The first day of school on August 11th? Sad but true, the school year begins a little early at this international school. However, it was still a day of great excitement for all. (It also means we end earlier - the beginning of June.)

(Above: Matteya is ready for her first day in Grade 3 - in Mrs. Cooper's class.)

Kyara, Matteya and Ariel are in what is known as the Elementary School at GSIS. Elementary school is for students attending 'Junior Kindy' to Grade 5. Justine, who is in Grade 6, is in Middle School which encompasses students in Grade 6 - 8. While students in Grade 9 and up are in High school.

(Above: Kyara ready for Grade 4 - her teacher - Mr. Schumacher.)

As for the parents, Rosanne is teaching Science in Middle School - Grades 6 and 7, while Kevin is teaching High School and Middle School Mathematics. This will be a learning experience for both of them, but in entirely different ways. For Rosanne it is the first time she is teaching in an English school and teaching all Science. For Kevin, he has to work, he has to teach...hopefully he will remember how to do this.

(Above: The girls are with 'Auntie Grace', one of the secretaries at the school.)

A few of the benefits of being at GSIS is that for the first time ever all members of the Wendling family are together in the same school. In fact, on some days they can even have lunch together. As well, at the end of the day the girls usually make their way to mom and dad's classrooms to help their parents pack up, before heading to their apartment.

(Above: Mia, wearing a fabulous pink print dress is ready for Day 1 in the ELC.)

For Mia, the ELC is a fun place with her friends she can play, make things, play in the sandbox or watch a movie. She loves her teachers and her classmates.

School is school no matter where you live in the world: there is learning, a teacher, friends and new experiences. Hopefully, you have learned about how the Wendling's do school in Korea.