SCHOOL STARTED FOR REAL

Hello to all!

We started school "for real" yesterday, after 2 weeks of "ex-terms", or times when the students are generally out & about doing various activities. I accompanied (in the support van) a group of bikers who rode 450 miles in 8 days from Cleveland to Niagara Falls round trip! They were awesome and the trip was just amazing! During that time, Eliott & Betty stayed at the dorm and now they don't want to come home...

So, school started yesterday as far as actual classes, I just love the incredible team of people I get to work with, they are all incredibly dedicated, professional and also NICE PEOPLE!

I teach French to all the students, and I also got involved with a "Community Action Service " project as well as a business venture, tbd, probably involving either a local outlet for students' artwork or other products they make, or taking over the local food coop which is in a bad shape.

The students have a LOT of choice in how they put together their schedule - classes are offered several times and students sign up for their classes, organize themselves to get homework, lab work etc done and are responsible for figuring out what they should do and where they should be. It's all so true to the Montessori idea of education as an aid to life.

My students are really driven - one wants to own a vineyard in Perpignan (France), one wants to spend a year on a service project in Haiti, one is totally enraptured by Marie-Antoinette; these kids really put thought into what they are doing.

Eliott & Betty meanwhile are just loving it ALL. From their dorm days they have a ton of friends, today is Betty's birthday and everyone keeps giving her hugs; school is great for them too. So life is good!

Our house is quietly getting straightened out - I have neglected paperwork for so long that I am now tempted to just throw everything away, but other than that I am doing pretty well with getting organized. We are actually in a great, centrally located neighborhood, close to a great grocery store (Zagara), Whole Foods is 3 miles away, Coventry Village is walking distance for great restaurants and cool stores, and school is 2.5 miles down the hill. SO we got ourselves bikes, but I don't know how long it'll take me to get back up the hil after school carrying my MAC and all my school stuff...

I wanted to add some photos but I can't get them to add, so you'll have to imagine it all - and I'll send the photos separately.

I can't wait for news from you, your school adventures, whatever else you're up to, and photos of you.

All our love,

Francoise, Eliott & Betty