Monday, January 17, 2011

The Boy Who Wasn't Smiling (Update)

Yesterday, while picking up Raphaela from Gan, I spoke to the mother of the boy who seemed to be unhappy and non-verbal within the nursery setting.  She told me that he has greatly improved, and his mood seemed to be a side-effect of a sub-clinical virus.  Because he felt sick, but not ill enough to stay home, he exhibited symptoms of sadness instead.

That Virus of the Month Club does a good business.

I asked her if she was planning on sending him back to this Gan next year, and she told me that she had several reservations, including that fact that the Chanukah party was geared mostly toward the oldest group of children, and the lack of an English speaking staff member.  It is true that many of the children, even those with two Israeli parents, speak some level of English in the home, and it would be nice to have one day each week when Raphaela heard English at home and at school, but that is not the negotiating point for me.

I take issue with the entrance to the Gan, it is covered with rocks that make it almost impossible to push a stroller, and the area around it has been neglected by the owners of the building complex.  It is a shame that a Gan which is so airy and modern and clean on the inside, feels like a tenament on the outside, but I do think that is easily solved.

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