Touch a lot. Talk a lot.

The vice principal of Marymount International School of Rome warned us of this before sending us to our classrooms and my oh my was she right on. Culture shock. I’m in a classroom with four year olds… my little babes.. they are all beautiful children with the prettiest sounding names. So here’s how the day went: we took a tour of the school (they have so many different buildings.. and none of them were built to be a school) and I finally ended up in my classroom. They had a welcome sign on the door for me which was so cute. They were in the middle of centers when I walked in and I met all the students and they told me their names in Italian (literally could understand one name… which I thought he said John Paul… so I kept calling him that until I saw his name written out Giampaolo… definitely not John Paul.) So Giampaolo spoke little to no English… trying to help the kid was almost impossible. By the end of the day I had two students translating for me. I’m going to seriously need to get on Rosetta Stone, but I also think I’m going to pick it up so quickly. I started understanding what they were saying and it is so easy to tell when they’re angry, sad, upset, or whatever… they are so emotional and affectionate. Hearing one little boy say “ciao bella” to this little girl was the cutest thing I’ve ever heard. They talk a mile a minute. And touch each other all the freaking time. I kept wanting to say “hands to yourself!” But no, not in Italy. They are constantly hugging, touching, picking each other up… and it’s okay. Oh, also they run through the halls.. run to the bathroom (yes, four year olds have a bathroom down the hallway, not in their room). I must have heard “go pee pee!” 100 times today. My teacher told me to go look at the bathrooms… and it was by far the most different thing from American schools. Unisex bathrooms. That’s right. I walk in and see 5 little boy penises. And the little Italian girls are in their too. So, so bizarre to me. Out on the playground, it’s basically a war zone. My teacher told me the students need to learn to work things out on their own at a young age… so they try not to interact. If one shoves another to the ground, and the one on the ground isn’t crying, yelling, or screaming, then everything is fine. At least three kids were on the ground. I’ll put up pictures of the playground, cafeteria, and classroom another day! Oh during snack time, the students make a circle around a circular table, they all have their own glass (brought from home so they know it is theirs), fill it up with water and then get a snack and sit at their chair.  They have two snack times. Our lunch break is 45 minutes… Dana and I were so lost on what to do.. but finally figured it out and then ate right next to priests… attractive priests I might add. We also have to outside play times… and during the first one, one of my teachers took me to the “bar” and bought me cappuccino. Yup, they have coffee bars in their school. My one teacher from England kept calling the kids “my little sausages.” At the end of the day, one boy started crying because another said he didn’t like soccer (yes, that’s how intense they are about soccer over here) and she goes “oh, my poor little sausage.” HAHA. 8:30-3:15 is SUCH a long day for four year olds… I probably would have cried over the soccer comment too. It doesn’t even end then. After school, they take 1-2 lessons in either music, tennis, swimming, or art. These families are WEALTHY as heck… their tuition for this school is what we pay to go to JMU…. For four year old preschool?? It’s 3 year old- high school and about 650 students are currently enrolled. It was such a great first day, and I think I’m going to cry when I have to leave these little sausages.

Marymount International School of Rome

Early Childhood building and the patio is where students eat lunch!

Oh, and the vice principal told us not to be drinking the water because it’s loaded with calcium. Great mama, right? Now I know why the woman from last year ended up in the hospital with her kidney stones.

And to finish the amazing first day we got the best gelato ever… amaretto and caramel flavored. I figured I’ll just stop eating when my pants no longer fit.

I’ve actually loved not having my phone… it’s nice to be disconnected for a bit, although I would like to be able to pick up the phone and call my fam. Miss you all and hope my mama and sisa had a wonderful mother’s day J

We’re off to the market… here’s to hoping our second trip goes better than the first.