Leave it to me!

I can't handle this, even for me.
I don't understand school registration, systems, or specialized terms, and there are very few elements I can infer. When I was in Japan, I handled everything, so this time I'll leave it to my wife. You can do it! Please take care of it! (lol)

And so, my daughter faced her first day of school, encountering all sorts of new experiences. Although it's a school in Sicily, because it's a mountain town, there are seven students in her grade. Furthermore, the 4th and 5th graders are in a joint class together. Quite a first experience. I haven't been to the school yet. There are various reasons (lol). First of all, since there are zero Japanese people in this town, everyone is very curious about my daughter who came from Japan. I don't want to interfere with her receiving the appropriate attention and integrating with everyone (given my

Sicilian Mamma

The parents' group is quite interesting.

In Japanese schools too, I've seen PTA communication and the existence of communities where mothers call each other

However, you need to join the "All-Out Mom" group here. Since there are only seven students in the entire grade, there's no hiding in terms of communication (lol). I get a lot of messages on Whatsapp (an app like LINE). Good luck, my wife! (lol) She's undergone the baptism of the Sicilian "Mamma Army" and has happily (Congratulations!) become a Sicilian Mamma. That said, I think mutual help is a very good thing.

When is the school day?!

It's not decided until the last minute (lol). September after the summer break (new school year, new semester). We waited and waited, but no contact came about when school would start. Just before the deadline, there was finally a general assembly-like gathering, but even then, the principal didn't mention when classes would begin. It's like a soba noodle delivery in Japan, with a response like

And then, only the 4th and 5th graders receive a notice saying,
"Huh? Aren't all grades together?" That's hilarious.
Textbooks? For this too, a mother volunteered to go buy them at a local bookstore, and it was truly a case of mutual help, or perhaps analog, there’s a flow and wave of air here, and you just have to ride it.

It exceeded my expectations

Finally, the first day of school arrived. I was wondering what would happen, but here’s the amazing part: a banner that said “Welcome” in Japanese?! The teachers immediately called my daughter to the front and introduced her. There were hugs and everything all around, and apparently, the communication was (almost too) boisterous.

Everyone is so warm, thank you!

When I was in America, there was a sense that teachers shouldn’t touch students, so this is shocking.
(I even wonder how difficult this physical contact must have been during COVID)

Now, my daughter has returned home.
“How was it?”
“I want to go back to school soon!”

Unbelievable… For me, school was nothing but torture.
I didn’t want to go to school at all, so I can’t imagine it.
I was forced to enroll in a private elementary school
and was abused, as it was an outlet for the teachers' hysteria.
It’s hilarious, seriously (lol)

Well, her adventure has just begun, I’m looking forward to it.
PS The homework and curriculum are quite wonderful, so I’ll talk about that another time.