Reese's First Day of School

We arrived on Friday night, March 26th and Reese started school that following Tuesday morning! Not much time for her to adjust to jet lag, but she was a trooper...and excited about her new school, teacher and friends.

She now attends David G. Farrugut Elementary (DGF) school on the Rota Base. There are two 1st grade classes and she is in Mrs. Sweeney's class. When she started school, there were only 14 children in her class.












As this is a DOD (Department of Defense) school, children are always coming and going along with their parents who are being transferred here and there to new duty stations.

And being a DOD school, the teaching staff are acutely in-tuned with the needs of children and their emotional adjustments to moving - particularly since this is another country...and therefore, Reese was welcomed with open arms. She quickly made friends and comes home each day answering my question of, "How was your day, Reese?" with "AWESOME!!!" and filling me in on all the details.

The week at DGF (also known to locals as "Don't Go Fridays" - because of the frequency of Fridays off) consists of alternating regular class time (math, reading, science, spanish) with an elective of music, Host Nation - where they study Spanish culture, P.E., and art.

Here are some pictures of Reese and Rayna dancing at Pizza Villa (the pizza place on base) before the post 1st day of school celebration dinner! And below on her 2nd day of school, looking MUCH more at ease than on day 1.













(It should also be noted that Reese's 1st grade teacher in the states, Mrs. Crossley, was a phenomenal teacher and is greatly missed. Reese had a very sad day about 2 weeks ago where she really missed her friends back home and mentioned that each time her class here in Spain says the Pledge of Allegiance, she thinks of saying that same pledge with her old class and friends in California. )