Settling in School

Tomorrow is the last day of term here at Abigail's school, CAMS here in Dodoma. Her last day in the Reception class.

The photo below shows the Early Years Centre (EYC) where the nursery and reception classes are based. The right hand side reception class building is new since I was last living and working here. It's really nice that the younger children have their own little area with separate playground.

Abigail started going to school just 48 hours after we arrived in Dodoma, at her request and has loved everything about it ever since. To the point where, when she really wasn't well one day, she was determined to go into school and still has a clear record with no days absent.

Today Abigail got her first ever school report and as well as listing all her achievements, she was described as being

'A polite and helpful student who always works diligently to complete work to the best of her ability.'

Moving children across the world can be one of the downsides of the missionary lifestyle, you just never know how it's going to go, you can just hope and pray they will be able to adjust and that as a parent you can make it as easy and understandable as possible. Having had a rough couple of months and lots of cranky behaviour between leaving the States and arriving in Tanzania, nothing could have made me and Mark happier than the fact that not only did she want to go straight to school but that she settled in really well and has absolutely thrived on it. Her reading has literally exploded in just a few short months as well as so many other things.

Every morning she has got on the bus at 7.20am and hasn't returned until about 12.20pm, five days a week. They are long hours when you're little and not used to it and I won't lie and say it's always been easy. There have been times when she has been absolutely exhausted (and grouchy) and a couple of days a week has even resumed her afternoon sleep just to cope with it all. 

Abigail's really looking forward to the holidays now ... and for the first time in her short little life has even said she's looking forward to the lie-ins!!! Something else that her mummy and daddy hope to be grateful for! If only she could convince her little sister of the same thing!