The School in San Cayetano

Hi All

Has anyone registered their children at the school? How easy or difficult was it?

Do you know when the school year / terms run from? We're not moving out until next year but I know from the posts that quite a few famiies are moving out soon - you lucky things! I was just after a few pointers in the right direction and a little bit of background info. Our son will be 5 in October.

Thanks in advance and I hope that when you all do move out you won't forget about us poor souls in the UK. I look at the site every day to see if there are any new photos or posts and hope that the number will increase when you start livig there.

Thanks again

Donna

Hiya

We visited the school and its very nice. Our daughter is 5yrs in December and our Son 3yrs this April. To register at the school we were given some forms to fill out which we give back nearer the time, you could just pick these up next time you are out there. we are also moving out next year so your son and my daughter might start together. The school year runs Sept to Sept but they dont start the school untill the year they are 6yrs, So next year your son will go into the school nursery which is Mon-Fri 9-2.

The teachers seemed very nice. . Which block are you moving into?... it would be lovely if our kids were chums. Have you considered the muzzy dvds to get your son started?

If you havnt seen photos of the school i can email you some if you send me your email address (privately).

If you need to know anymore I can dig the forms out and go into more detail... i need to go for now as my daughter is raiding the fridge and chomping through a cucumber like some sort of cave women.

Tina x

Hiya

We visited the school and its very nice. Our daughter is 5yrs in December and our Son 3yrs this April. To register at the school we were given some forms to fill out which we give back nearer the time, you could just pick these up next time you are out there. The school year runs Sept to Sept but they dont start the school untill the year they are 6yrs, So next year your son will go into the school nursery which is Mon-Fri 9-2.

The teachers seemed very nice. . Which block are you moving into?... it would be lovely if our kids were chums. Have you considered the muzzy dvds to get your son started?

If you havnt seen photos of the school i can email you some if you send me your email address (privately).

If you need to know anymore I can dig the forms out and go into more detail... i need to go for now as my daughter is raiding the fridge and chomping through a cucumber like some sort of cave women.

Tina x

Hi Tina

Thanks for that. I'll email you privately.

Donna.x

Hi Donna and other families moving to the site

Have a look at this site, its all about stuff for kids to do on the costa calida......... dance clubs, sports club etc

http://www.kidsinspain.es/costa_calida/index.php

Im going to try and find out what after school clubs they do at the San Cayetano school, im hoping they will have a swimming club.

Tina x

Donna, does your little chap like water sports?

Aqua Adicta
Sailing and windsurfing lessons, kayaking safaris and powerboat trips.

Location: Playa El Vivero La Manga
Tel: 968 545 193/ 659 434 811

I quite fancy the kayaking safari...... oh sorry forgot it was for the kids!!

Charlie loves swimming and can't wait 'to live on holiday' - neither can we!

I'm sure that he'll love the watersports as he gets older. Its good to know that its almost on our doorstep.

Thanks

Hi

Well thats great if he loves swimming because they are currently building a new swimming pool on the school grounds which the local council are responsible for, .... hopefully they will have a swimming club there for the kids!!

Trin is doing lessons at the moment and hopefully Brandon will start soon!!

Hi Donna was going to email this privately but thought others might benefit

Requirements for geting into the local San Cayetano school

1. Fill out entry forms given to you by the school (all in spanish by the way)

2. Photocopy of NIE number

3. Photocopy of passport

4. Photocopy of vaccinations

5. Two photocopies of identity cards

Hope this helps

Tina

Hi Tina

I was just wondering if you knew whether the kids could start the school in the middle of the year instead of september?

our house wont be ready untill july 08 and it would be a bit of a push to get there for this september

we was thinking of renting before ours is ready.

my wife is scared because she feels that our 8 year old will struggle in school do you think that 8 is a good age to move to spain?

bye for now

Iain Wendy William and Charlie

Hi there

Im very sure they can start half way thru the year. My husband asked this question as we would arrive half way thru as well and they said yes providing all documentation was ready. Ours would still be in the nursery of the school but i dont see why  it would be any different for the older ones.

Regarding the age, they say the younger the better, i think it 8yrs is absolutely fine especially as its a small friendly school. I think the more spanish your 8yr old can speak before she/he (William or Charlie) goes the easier it will be of course. Ive got my children watching Muzzy every evening before they go to bed... its taken a while for them to settle into it as the animation is not quite up to the standard of the 'finding Nemo' or the 'incredibles' but now they are in a routine and our 2 year old knows his spanish alphabet and our 4 yr old is flying with it. Its just consistency (i should take a leaf out of my own advice). If you havnt already got Muzzy I will warn you its quite expensive and it might be worth looking on ebay if you decide to get it or try and find it second hand. In fact you could maybe start a thread on here to see if anyone has it and wants to sell it as ive heard some kids just dont like it.

Also we have a world map on our kids wall and each night we explain to the kids where Spain is compared to where we are now. They fully understand we are moving to Spain and that we have to learn a new language which really encourages them to want to learn. They used to think Spain was Sainsburys, not sure how that happened!

Do you have any photos of the school? If not i can email you some. my husband visited the school and he said it was really nice, we wouldnt be letting our kids go if we didnt think so. So its my opinion that your 8yr old will be absolutely dandy. Of course she will miss her friends but she will make new ones.

Let me know if you would like me to email the photos.

Tina, jaime, Trinity and Brandon

Hi Tina

Thanks for the reply i would love you to send us the pics of the school william is 8 and charlie our baby (boy) is 18 months.

just been looking muzzy up online for level1 and 2 its £286 exspensive but if it works its worth every penny.

Thanks for your advice

bye for now

Iain wendy and boys

Hi again

Sent you a private mail and also just to let you know your little boy Charlie would start nursery which is inside the San cayetano school at 3yrs where they go 9-2pm Mon-Fri and 9-1pm  in certain months (I expect the hot months... cant remember). they then start school the year they are 6yrs instead of 5yrs like they do here. Well this is what we were told at the school anyway so I hope Its all the right information for you.

Right, im off for a jog now in the wind and rain, ... blimey i am so looking forward to the sun!!!

Take Care

Tina

Hi Iain, wendy and boys

If you do get the Native in Murcia book then I will warn you its not hugely complimentary about the spanish education system (well not in my copy 2005) you may get the next edition (not sure if its out) but anyway I know you have had concerns about your eldest settling so I just wanted to say that I know an english expat who is a teacher in Valencia and has taught there now for a long time. She put her own kids through the spanish system and advised me she wouldnt have done it any other way (I had once considered an international school before talking to her). She said the spanish schools dont have bullying problems because there is always an older spanish cousin or relative thats sorts problems out and its just not tolerated in spanish schools, she didnt say the same for international schools. She also said that spanish schools get involved with the community and there is always activities for them to do, after school and out of term time, she said that the international schools dont really do this and also kids at the international school never really learn the language properly because they are taught in english. She said the spanish education system was very good and I have to say I trust her. I met her children once who were at the time were about 13 and 15yrs and i have to say they spoke fluent english and spanish and were very well rounded kids... what kids that age should be and thats happy, not obsessed with status and being in gangs etc. When i make the comment about the gangs and unhappy kids im referring to what been going on in the papers lately, im not saying every kid here is unhappy. Anyway........

My edition of going Native in Murcia points out that Spain, Murcia included was about 20th in a set of 31 countries that were assesd in 2002, but were ahead of Germany and Italy. Personally im ignoring that and am not tempted to go with an international school. Kids learning comes from home as well and I have every faith in our local San Cayetano school. Hope the book doesnt put you off in that sense!!!! Tina

Hi

I agree with Tina. We also looked into international schools and even found one which would have been perfect in every way but after speaking to a number of ex-pat families it seems that the very best way for us all to integrate and for the children especially is to attend local Spanish schools. From what I've been told by other people, international schools all teach in English and only do a very small amount of Spanish in a week. Probably similar to the UK with French, German etc. 

My Spanish teacher is bilingual, born in the UK and lived in Spain from the age of 4. She sounds English to us but she sounds Spanish to the Spaniards. Our children should hopefully grow up to do the same. She went through the Spanish school system and is now a linguistics lecturer as well as a Spanish teacher at Manchester University. So it can't be that bad!

Donna

HI Julia and Rob

This thread has info on it 

Tina

Thanks Tina,

Very useful especially the list of requirements.  Does anyone have contact details ? Telephone number/name??  I have trawelled websites and cant find it.  Parador owners club say its not in their remit!!

Look forward to hearing from you xx

Julia & Rob

hi there

968587668

im pretty sure that is right number. If its wrong then let me know and i will ask hubby (at work) as he has rang a few times. Ive taken that number of the forms that the school gave us. Good luck, let us know if you find anything out different to what you have read on this thread. thanks

tina x

Tina,

Thanks so much - have read all the postings so its reassuring our eldest will not be alone.  He will be 11 and considering they hold them back a year in Spain he will go to the primary school and get his grounding in Spanish.  He has private tutoring here until we go.

Were going out in May and will collect forms from the school then.  Does your husband speak Spanish or were they able to answer your enquiries in English??  Has anyone found the local Docs which is the next thing??

Were moving out in August and renting a completed quad until ours is ready in march 08. 

Thanks once again

Julia & Rob and boys x

HI

Yes my husband spoke spanish whilst on the phone to school and got the impression that is how they wanted it (he could be wrong) but maybe with all the new english kids coming they might have someone there to speak english. If your kids are having tutoring then get them to ring... that will be good practise!! ha ha

Good luck x