“Where is Benny? Oh, I see Roby and Martin, yeah mummy is here, you wait here, don’t go to the swings again, I will fetch Memey and Joshua!” It is the usual buzz when I pick up the kids from school, only today it is the first day of school after their summer holiday. The children are all located in different class rooms this year, so I have to look for them. After a few minutes they are all standing around me, eager to tell their story. Getting the kids safely from the school premises into the car is always a bit of a stressful event for me. I worry one of them runs off, under a car or motor bike, or we accidently leave one of them behind, after miscalculating the heads, which should be seven in total.
Once in the car with the doors closed, I can breath a bit more relaxed. There we go. Jimmy, Roby, and Benny are the oldest ones and sit in the back of our minivan with ibu Uun. Martin, Memey, Harry, and Joshua are in the middle with ibu Ridha, and I sit in the front next to Toni my husband, who drives.
So why go through the hassle of bringing the kids to a school outside, when most orphanages have a school on their own premises? Three good reasons: The kids meet other children, and adults, which is good for their social development. The kids get used to going out on a daily basis, and thereby get used to experience life outside our gates, which is good for their general development, and last, the school they go to uses a fantastic curriculum, taught by great experienced teachers, in English.
While Toni starts the engine, Benny holds a drawing he made under my nose: “Look at my picture mum!” Harry and Martin are arguing over who gets to sit on ibu Ridha’s lap, and in the back, Jimmy has a conversation with Roby.
Seniors Benny and Jimmy are in the highest grade which is Kindergarten 2, while Roby has to do grade Kindergarten 1for the second time. Martin and Harry are also in Kindergarten 1, all in separate classes. The youngest ones, Memey and Joshua kick up a storm in respectively Pre-kindergarten, and Toddler group.
In the car it is quite silent now, everyone is sleepy, and we have to get used to the new rhythm, following a long holiday. We are almost home. “Memey are you still awake? Joshua?” “ZZzzzzz!”