Thoughts on kindergartens?

[Lilywise]

hello everyone!

I just found this site and these forums, and I'm so thankful! We're moving to Tuebingen in late September and I am feeling completely overwhelmed. We're not military or business transfers (DH is studying ...) and having to set everything up ourselves.

I have a 4 year old and 11 month old.

My questions are about German kindergartens. We'd like to enroll our 4-year-old in a kindergarten but I'm not sure where to start, especially since we're still here in the USA until September.

- How early should you contact kindergartens for enrollment? Where we live now in the USA they fill up really quickly.

- Does anyone know any kindergartens in the Tuebingen area that you would recommend? I don't want full day, and I do want a place where people will be kind and supportive since my DS doesn't know much German.

I would appreciate any input from any of you. I've already gotten so much help from just reading through the threads!

[Ravin]

I would probably look for a waldorf or montessori school (though waldorf is called something else over there, don't remember what).

Alternately, have your DH talk to the people at the university where he is studying. They might have some advice about school for his kids; they're liable to be parents themselves, after all.

[Hollycrand]

We're in Stuttgart, just 20 kilometers north of Tübingen. Waldorf is just called Waldorf, and I'm not sure if there are Waldorf or Montessori schools there...but probably.
You should probably just wait until you get here and start checking out the kindergartens. Most places won't enroll children long distance. Wait until you get here and start calling. Since all children over 3 are guaranteed by the state to have a kindergarten place, kindergartens will try to make room for a 4 year old, or try to take him in as soon as possible. Montessori and Waldorf aren't very cheap, but the state-run kindergartens are, and there are some great programmes. It just depends on the school and their 'concept'.
You might want to check out some of the Waldkindergartens around Tübingen as well, though this is a big tick area.
99% of kindergartens are half day (mornings), and most are very understanding of children who don't speak much German (they will speak it to him, though, because it's important that the children get a good grasp of German before starting school).
If you have any other questions, PM me. Dd#1 is off to kindergarten this fall, which is why I know a tiny bit about this subject.

[Vicitoria]

Hello!

Wait until you get here for sure. You will want to check it all out yourself and look at your options. German children only go to school for a half day compared to Americans. Kindergarten is til 12 and 1-4th isn't much longer. You will want to decided if you want your kids to go to a German kindergarten or an english speaking one. There are many options. When you register in the town you live in as a resident you will have to register your religion or lack of one. I don't know how that will work with your husband. If he has an income he will pay taxes to his church. If you are Catholic there are Catholic Montessori schools but you would have to be paying the catholic taxes for it. Most kindergardens are run by churches.

You may want to think about how long you plan to stay. Germany children do not learn abc's or 123's until they start first grade at age 6 or 7. If you plan on returning to the states after just a few years you will want to keep that in mind and possibly help your children with those things so they will be up to date with their american friends when you move back. I know of people who are homeschooling on top of public kindergarten which is just a morning of play. I've posted over on the home school boards with those questions because we plan on being back in the US to start school. They said most of the things your child will need for 1st grade you can teach them yourselves.

Depending on where you live and how much German you speak or plan on learning you may want to consider an english speaking school.

[Lilywise]

What sort of health forms do German kindergartens require? I was wondering if I need to get my pediatrician to give me a copy of my kids' entire medical charts, or do I only need vaccination information.

I'm a little confused too on how kindergarten works with getting filled up. Some people (not on this site) have told me that kindergartens fill up quickly and so I need to get DS in the queue as soon as possible. But then it sounds like DS would be guaranteed a spot ... so I don't need to worry about this now at all. Does that just mean that some kindergarten somewhere would have to take him? Or does that mean that if I find a nice kindergarten close to where we'll live (wherever that turns out to be) he can get in? We won't have a car, so I'm a bit concerned about having to schlep DS and baby DS across town just for a few hours of kindergarten.

Thanks for your thoughts on this!

[Hollycrand]

No vacs required for German kindergartens.

[Ling]

I heard der aktiver kindergarten (http://www.aktive-schule.de/Kindergarten/kindergarten.html) is pretty good. I would love to send my daughter if it were not that far to drive for us.

Do you know where you'll be living yet?

[Hollycrand]

All children over the age of 3 are guaranteed a place in A kindergarten. Wherever there is space. Not necessarily the kindergarten closest to you or the one you would choose to send your child. So that is why it is said to sign your child up ASAP - to be able to choose the kindergarten your child goes to.

[Lilywise]

Do you know when kindergarten starts in Baden-Wurtemburg (I think I misspelled that ...)? I assume it's the same as the schools, but perhaps not since many kindergartens are private.

I don't know where we'll be living yet--a great source of stress that's keeping me up at night! We don't plan to have a car so I'd like to be in Tubingen near the university. I haven't found too much for rent, though, and a couple of the places I called weren't thrilled about our having kids. I've looked at some places further out but I"m not sure how doable they are without a car.

We don't get to Germany until August/September and then we need our Tubingen lease to start Sep 30 or Oct 1. I'm feeling a bit stymied doing this long-distance ... but everyone is saying that if we don't have a place before we leave USA we'll be out of luck. If anyone has tips on this process I'd love to hear them!

What is the German take on corporal punishment? Is it practiced in the schools? Accepted in the home? Frowned on/discouraged?

[Lilywise]

Where do you live, Ling?

[Hollycrand]

Actually, there is no separation of church and state in Germany, so the kindergartens run by the churches are not private. They cost exactly the same as state-run kindergartens. They are also not supposed to give preference for tax paying church members or Christians.

Normally kindergartens close down for 3 weeks in August, then start up again about one week before school starts - usually mid September. Most kindergartens here in BW accept 'new' children in September/October.

I have no idea about corporal punishment, but as far as I know, it is NOT practiced in any school. But a parent spanking a child in public is accepted as a sort of discipline. But I think it is expected that the parents play a big role in discipline. The fact that 97% of mothers here in BW don't work while raising their school-age children means that most mothers are SAHMs and therefore if a child is misbehaving badly the kindergarten will ask the mother to keep him/her at home for a while or to instill some sort of discipline.

Here in BW(Germany?) all children over the age of 3 are GUARANTEED a place in a kindergarten. But some kindergartens are more popular than others, and parents want to be able to choose where their children go. Because a guaranteed place doesn't mean it'll be in the kindergarten YOU want, or in a kindergarten close to your house. Though they will keep all children within the city, as each city organises their own kindergartens - church and state-run. Though the church-run has (as to be expected) more management from the church organisation. But it's all connected. Just like if you declare yourself to be religious, you have to pay a special church tax to the state. Just to let you know, this tax is HARD to get rid of, so if you don#t want to pay it, don't state that you're religious.
This tax doesn't have anything to do with kindergarten places...though if you're an active member of a church the kindergarten will almost automatically accept your children.
I hope this is clear. I'm trying to type fast so that am not neglecting dd#1.

[Ling]

I'm 20m away from Tuebingen.
It's such a nice town. You'll love it, too.

I've heard it's not very easy finding an apartment in Tuebingen.
If you are ready to pay the commisions, that would probably make you sleep a lot better to let the agent do the serach.

[Lilywise]

Whew! We finally have a place to live lined up! :) It looks like there are a couple of nearby kindergartens so I'm off to investigate those. At least I'm sleeping easier now. :) Thanks for all your helpful info and thoughts.