Part 2 Nolan and Slovenian school

It’s been almost 3 months since Nolan started school in Slovenia! (WOW I can’t believe it’s been that long already!) Nolan is doing AMAZING! I thought I would take some time to reflect on what’s going on with him in Slovenian school, in hopes that my posts will help other mommas see the unknowns in full immersion schools. 

I had my first parent-teacher group meeting. That was interesting… they only spoke in Slovene yep you heard me right only in Slovene. I’m decent at figuring out what’s going on with cue words, and body language, but one full hour in a full immersion meeting was exhausting! That meeting definitely opened up my eyes to what Nolan’s life in school is like, and I’m forever grateful they only spoke Slovene for that very reason. 

E-Mails, and updates. EVERYTHING is in Slovene. I’m on the Parent Teacher Board at Nolan’s school and they send me everything in Slovene. So you can imagine I’m getting really good at reading Slovene and operating Google translate, although I have learned Google translate isn’t always right. 

Nolan’s first field trip. I was informed that Nolan’s class will be taking a 3-night field trip in April to a farm about an hour away from where we live. As cool as it sounds to get to spend the night on a farm with all your friends, milk cows, get eggs in the morning etc Tyler and I have decided that I will drive Nolan the first day to the farm so he can experience a field trip with his class but he will not be spending the night. I don’t think that’s a good fit for him, and my mommy heart I don’t think could handle it. (Minor culture shock ha) 

Language! Nolan is definitely understanding 75% of everything his teachers are saying. His teachers told me that they only speak to him in Slovene, and he does everything that they ask of him. They said they are working on getting him to reply in Slovene instead of English. He says some words, and knows a couple of phrases, and is really picking up on counting, he came home today counting GREAT! I was so proud that’s what sparked this blog post.

Nolan loves to talk (He’s my child) so much so that the children in his class are now speaking English! They don’t start teaching English to children here until they are 8 years old, the parents to the children LOVE it, I think it’s hilarious. Every day when Tyler and I pick Nolan up from school the class starts to say Bye Bye Nolan, and then you hear the teachers quickly correct them and tell them in Slovene, and then you hear them say Adijo! (ah-DYOH!) Nolan. Tyler and I always get a little laugh out of that! 

All in all I think these 3 months have been really good for Nolan. Don’t get me wrong he has little slip ups, and gets in trouble at school for not listening, or acting out a little. However, I have to remind myself that he is a 4-year-old little boy going to a full immersion school where basically no one speaks English at his level. So you have to understand as a parent to a child in a full immersion school that it will be a little bumpy at times, but as long as he continues to learn and loves his school I think we are heading in a really good direction.