Lux School: Over

It's the end of an era for us. My kids finished two years of local Luxembourgish school. When I sit and think about it, it's amazing what they did. They are my heros. We threw them into a completely foreign world, and they had to sink or swim. There were plenty of sinking moments. It doesn't feel like a 100% success. But they swam really hard, and I'm proud of them. Let us pray their future therapists don't have to unravel too much from these past two years.

Speaking of therapists, Sienna's teachers asked us to meet with one several times over the past year. She continued to not be very verbal and it was hard to assess if she wasn't able to keep up completely because of the language barrier or if there was something else going on. She did several rounds of testing and they found that it was still the language barrier. She is doing well otherwise. Her teachers recommended she be held back a year because she would not be able to keep up with the following year's cirriculum. That's when Adam and I decided to search out a different school. If we had to stay here forever, it might make sense to stress that she learn everything in the local school. But that's not our situation, and it was a good time to wake up to the fact that we are returning to America and it will be important for our kids to get up to speed with English. 

Next year my kids are headed to a brand new English international school that's run by the Lux government. They will still both have a little Luxembourgish on the side and Sienna will ditch German completely but have some French. Going back to English-only subjects will be its own adjustment. Noah's only formal schooling has all been in Luxembourgish, so I think he'll have a harder adjustment period. I am thinking Sienna will flourish. Fingers crossed!

The end of this year brought some fun performances, field trips, and sleepovers.

The kids both performed in a Trommelzauber (drum magic). So did the entire school and the auditorium was filled with the noise to prove it.

Sienna did some kind of pirate-inspired trumpet performance. 

This year they had colorful, plastic instruments! I've never seen anything like them. Brass instruments gone kid-friendly! I like it.

Sienna spent three days with her classmates at a farm she referred to as Kolonie. She rode on a donkey, in a horse-drawn carriage, made a beeswax candle, hammered her initial into a horseshoe, ate Nutella toast for breakfast and Weinerschnitzel for dinner. She loved every minute of it!

 Noah had a one-night sleepover at his school. He was freaking out with excitement. Spaghetti for dinner and toast with chocolate sprinkles for breakfast!

 His face says it all: he was in heaven.

Here he is with his teachers at the class party. Joffer Paola and Joffer Marine will always hold a special place in our hearts.

 Sienna fell sick the last two days of school and stayed home but was able to rally at the last minute to go get a picture with her teacher, Joffer Claudine. She has been a very patient teacher and we will remember her fondly.

 The Three Musketeers! Just sprouting like weeds!