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Dobsie

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Everything posted by Dobsie

  1. This is a subject very close to my heart as I have 3 girls who have been in France since they were 5, 3 and 1. As I'm not a teacher, I set up Accents in Civray & Jarnac ( http://www.accents-asso.fr ) so that local Anglophone children could maintain their English at an age appropriate level. Whilst I think we will be based in France for some time yet, you never know what's round the corner so it seems sensible to ensure that they could slot back into an English speaking education system relatively easily. If they stay in France, having a good standard of written English will always help them. Personally, I am constantly surprised at the number of parents who think that speaking English in the home will ensure that their children can read and write English and that they need no other help. This has had disastrous consequences for some children who have not been able to get qualifications or even pursue their chosen career because they could not write English to the required standard. But I'm clambering back onto my soapbox so had better stop before I get started!      
  2. Our first classes have gone very well and all the children love the mixture of stories, games and creative writing. We are holding an Open Day this Wednesday for anyone who would like to come along and see what's going on. Our GS /CP class runs from 10-12 and our CE-CM class is 2-4 pm at 7 Rue du Temple, Civray (there's a map on http://www.accents-asso.fr). Just pop along and talk to one of the teachers if you have any questions. Also, don't forget our first ever Mothers & Toddlers on Thursday morning 9.30-11.30am at the same place. This is open to both English and French speakers and so we're looking forward to meeting some new faces there .
  3. We're pleased to say they have all found new homes now and are on their way.
  4. Where abouts in 16 are you? There is an association in Civray that teaches English to Anglophone children with the aim of maintaining their written / spoken English in line with their peers in the UK. For more info, see http://accents-asso.fr  
  5. Used them many times over the past 2 years (DVDs and CDs) and have always found prices cheap and delivery fast. Another one is Cd-Wow - I tend to buy from whichever is cheaper. I have dispatched several times to friends and relatives addresses in several countries as presents and everything always turns up on time. 
  6. We have a similar thing in 01 as we are in a large expat population near Geneva. Our children are too young for Lycee but do attend half day a week in English at the Lycee entitled the English National Program (this is from CE1 for children with mother tongue -or close- level English and they are released from the local French primaires to attend every Tues pm). They also run similar schemes in German, Dutch, Italian etc. You may want to check if your area does something similar. This then sets them up to go into the International section of the Lycee when they are old enough or at least ensures they could fit back more easily into UK scholling if required. From what I have gathered, most of the international children go to the Int. section of the Lycee rather than the local French college or French section as it gives you the International qualification which in turn gives you more options later. As previous posters have said, I would contact the local parents association and ask them to explain in detail the differences so you can make sure you make the right choice. The only thing I would watch on entering the International section is that often this area is more transient than the French section - children come and go very quickly some staying a few months and others a few years since all the parents are likely to be working in International jobs. Our children have just waved goodbye to several sets of friends at the end of a 3 year posting which can be upsetting.    Regarding the idea of privilege - it is an option that is only open to a few children in a few areas of France. We are moving soon to the Vienne and this will be one of the things we will miss. So yes, I would regard it as a privilege - from memory there are only a handful of such state schools in France.   Good luck with your choice.
  7. We are currently selling our house and therefore have signed mandats with a number of agencies. My understanding (from the agents and our notaire) is that if they get us the net vendeur price agreed in the paperwork we are obliged to sell. We have been told that there have been cases where this has been enforced. Therefore, we have put in the price we would be happy with but will negotiate below that if we want to if we have an offer. Not sure whether this too varies by region but here in 01, it seems to be the case.
  8. We have a red plate on one of our cars but it isn't quite like the one pictured. Around here (near Geneva) there are quite a few TTW red plates and they are for cars which are built outside the EU and last the lifetime of the car. I'm not sure of the history, but we are allowed a reduction in the TVA on new non-EU cars to make the prices more competitive with EU made cars. I think this only applies if you live in the frontalier region (roughly 10km bordering Switzerland) and if you move outside this region you have to pay back the TVA saved. Bizarre, but we were happy to apply Kathryn
  9. Hi Janine We live on the edge of the Jura close to Geneva and there are a lot of Brits and every other nationality here (simply because we all commute to the international organisations in Geneva). Perhaps one of the reasons that it rarely features anywhere is that the border area has an odd status being frontaliere. Also, many people moving here do so because of the job rather than because they decided to move here independently and there are other support networks that are in place for them. I am happy to try and answer any questions you may have on the area etc. if I can - drop me a pm and we can have a chat. Charlotte G is further up in the Doubs so between us we may be able to cover the area for you Regards Kathryn  
  10. We're in the Jura - about 20 mins outside Geneva (great views of Mont Blanc!). Kathryn
  11. Hi Charlotte Swiss plumbing fittings are different to the French ones - don't know the tech bit but I do know that our French plumbers had to get a different connector to attach our Swiss Ikea basin and a lot of our friends have had the same experience. We found it cheaper to get our kitchen from Lyon about 2 hrs away rather than from Switz (20 mins away) because of the customs issues - it would have been far too many car trips! We did top up on handles etc in Switz. However we did buy all our sanitary ware in France after our first experience. Also, be careful of buying the Ikea design with the frames round the doors (Dukerum I think). We have put in several Ikea kitchens and this last one was the most difficult and doesn't fit very well. I think they may have withdrawn it in Switz now but I have seen it in France. Good Luck! Kathryn      
  12. If you are talking about the language school rather than the tapes, here us my experience: My ex-company generously gave everyone a course at Berlitz on moving to France. They are very regimented in how they teach and also the syllabus they teach. I had several different teachers (high teacher turn over and changing lesson times due to work pressures) and they were all very similar in technique. Personally, I would have preferred a more tailored approach (I had 1:1 lessons) - i.e. learning subjects that would have been useful to me which they were not allowed to do. However they seemed strong on grammar and did hammer home the vocab in their books, but it was very reminiscent of my school days. I have since gone with a freelance teacher who is far more flexible and this is more rewarding for me as I can focus on areas that are of interest and feel like a grown up. My husband also tried with Berlitz but gave up as they were too inflexible so he found it a waste of time.You may want to check prices too - they were expensive compared to other schools. I guess it comes down to how you learn best and what you can afford....  
  13. Hi - we're on our way to our new home near Civray with our 3 girls aged 8,6 & 4 - does anyone have any info on the schools? Our girls are fluent french speakers and have been in french schools for a couple of years now so settling in should not be a big problem, but I would really appreciate any info on the two schools. Also we would love to meet anyone in the area once we get there. Thanks for your help.
  14. Thanks - it is a good idea and I think I may well end up opening them one, but first I was wondering if there was anything specifically angled towards kids encouraging them to save?
  15. Does anyone know of any childrens bank accounts (the oldest is 8) with benefits? We have accounts with La Poste & CA. Thanks
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