The school system is completely different in South Africa. Kids go to school year round with four breaks total: two major two-month long school holidays in the winter and summer, and about a month off during the fall and spring. The school year starts in January and ends in December. Kids have the option of starting with "Pre-reception" which translates in to Pre-Kindergarden when they are four-years-old and turning five within that academic year, or they can wait and start Reception (Kindergarden) the next year when they are five and turning six.
I thought I was off the hook until the fall of 2014 considering Auggie's birthday is in October and would be five and shortly thereafter turning six for the American academic year that starts in August/September of 2014. Sure, I had planned on putting him in some kind of preschool the year before, but I wasn't expecting anything too serious until then.
When we moved here I was encouraged to immediately apply for Auggie to attend Rhenish Primary School for the Pre-reception year starting in 2013. My friends suggested that I at least get him accepted and then decide afterwards whether we'd send him or not. Long story short, we applied very late (May for the school year starting in January!), then Rhenish put up a huge fuss about us not having an official contract for leasing our apartment (we have a gentleman's agreement with the University), so I really didn't expect Auggie to get accepted. Fast forward to Tuesday morning when we received his acceptance letter in the mail saying that we had to accept or decline in writing within 10 days. Now what to do?
Auggie would thrive in school--I'm positive of that! He's a very smart, social dude, not to mention that he'd have at least two other friends in his class that he already knows--and one of them is American! The catch is that public school is expensive here with a monthly tuition. (From an American perspective paying for public school doesn't really make sense, does it?) That isn't such a big deal as is the school week: Monday through Friday from 8:30am until 1pm. I pictured sending Auggie to preschool a couple of mornings a week for a few hours each, rather than such a long school week off the bat for a 4-year-old.
And yet, by January Auggie will be older and more mature than he is now. He thrives on mental stimulation, loves reading, learning the alphabet and numbers, and doing art projects. Pre-reception is at school, but it's not yet super-formal schooling. I like the idea of him getting started socially as well.
The other question is getting him to school. Walking, it will take 30 minutes both ways from our current flat. We don't know where we'll be living in January, although I suppose we could make an effort to live closer to his school.... And perhaps Dan could take Auggie to school while Eland and I could pick him up...? What to do?!
One more thought: The schools in Stellenbosch are excellent. They are the very best in the country and compete on a global level for excellence. Auggie would be going to a school that's so great that people who don't live in Stellenbosch put their kids on a waiting list to get them in after all the Stellenbosch kids have been accepted--kids are even sent there from Namibia. If he goes to Rhenish this year then he's guaranteed a spot next year in Reception, although I suppose if we still live in Rhenish's zone then he'll be guaranteed to get in anyway. Just a thought...
You're welcome to make suggestions and share opinions, but more than anything I just wanted to express what's on my mind right now.
EDIT: We've decided to accept Auggie's acceptance (sounds funny, doesn't it?) and move forward with enrolling him for January. Dan and I are both feeling good about this decision.
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Ethan's starting kindergarten (1 of 3 years, I think) this fall. He'll be among the oldest in his class at 4 1/2. Lots of the kids start while they are still 3! I didn't feel good about trying to push him in early last year, but I'm looking forward to it this year. I think he'll really enjoy it.
I can't imagine kids starting school at 3! I suppose if their parents work then it makes sense, but that's so young! ... We've decided to go ahead and have him start school, so Auggie will be 4 1/4 when he starts in January--pretty close to Ethan's age. I agree, by that age they're ready, and I'm actually feeling surprisingly ready myself.
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