Schule Fährt – School Trip

This month, both boys went away with their classmates and teachers on school trips.

For three days and two nights! In Kindergärten and second grade! (Starting in third grade, they go for four nights and five days.)

These overnight trips start when children are in nursery school at the age of three. Germans stress social independence for children starting at an early age. Which is something that I can appreciate.

{Isaac heading out on his first trip without family}

This year, Isaac has received his “street license” for learning how to safely cross the road by himself and his “scissors license” for learning how to use scissors safely.

Ben has received his “filler pen license” for learning how to write with a calligraphy pen.

Starting in third grade, all students at their school will attend weekly swim lessons. And in forth grade, they will test for their “bicycle license”.

Back to the school trips. Ben’s class went to and stayed at a castle.

They were visited by a falconer, had a scavenger hunt (in German) and made s’mores on a camp fire.

{Ben and his bestie, Ilay, on their school trip}

Isaac’s group went to and stayed on a farm where they fed deer, rode tractors and made herbed bath salts.

Each child was expected to pack their own bags, make their own beds and do all of their toileting by themselves. Upon arriving home, I saw that both boys had successfully separated their dirty clothes from the rest of their things.

Once the classes were on their trips, we had no contact other than a brief email from their teachers letting us know that they had arrived safely. No news was good news.

I’m proud of our boys for coming to a new country, with a new (difficult) language, a new school and new friends. They have stretched and grown in so many ways. And are better people for it. Maybe I have, as well. Guess it’s time to give myself a little credit, too.