May 9, 2007

I registered Laina for school on April 23rd, a week after we had been home, and she started the following day. We decided to register at the neighboring Jr. High School for a few different reasons. One being that by Fall there will several other families with completed adoptions and their children will be attending this school and figured that the ESL program might be better to consolidate all of these Russian/Ukrainian speaking kids together. The girls her age have been so welcoming and sweet to her. (I hate to post too many names without permission). They have included her to play, invited to birthday parties and helped her around school. She has done quite well going to school. There have been a few times when I could tell it really wasn't what she wanted to do. Friday of the first week (it was a late night the night before, celebrating for Trevor's graduation) she seemed real tired in the morning and wouldn't eat breakfast. I took her to school. After 1st period I got a call from the school saying that she needed to come home. I went and picked her up, fed her some breakfast when we got home, and then she went and laid down and slept for almost 5 hours. She was happy and fine when she woke up. Things must have just been catching up with her and too overwhelming by the end of the week. She's gone ever since (missed one day when she had her doctor appointment). She says it's good. It is a little boring and long. Can you imagine listening to lectures in Utah Studies when you don't know English? Her teachers and staff at school (counselors have kept an eye on her) have been great and very understanding, her Math teacher sent home some worksheets with Russian instructions. She's enjoying learning Hip-Hop in P.E. The ESL teacher will start working with her more next week, she's been out of town.
One day Emily wasn't going to be there (family wedding) and she was real nervous about going that day. I thought it would be the best for her to realize she won't have someone all the time to rely on and she's got to learn her way around, and that other girls will be there for her too. She survived and did great and I think a real learning day for her. A confidence builder.
Yesterday she was very happy because her friend from Sumy, started school with her. Her friend and her sister arrived home at Midnight Sunday night/Monday morning, with their new family. On Tuesday when I picked Laina up from school she told me she wanted to call her and so I found the phone number and they talked and I took her over to hang out with her friends from Ukraine.
English is coming. She understands a lot! she doesn't like answering questions or talking much in English. If there is something she really wants me to know, she will figure it out how to say it in English. I know she is learning. The verbal part is the last to come. She doesn't want to do her English computer program, but what 14 year old jumps at the chance to do homework? I know the repitition is good.