I left a few items out of the Christmas letter that might be helpful to those of you who don't know all the details about our move to England.
1. Why are we here? Nephi works as a mathematician for the US Dept of Defense and is on assignment as an integree with the British government. We are here for 3 years.
2. Tabitha, Hannah, and Abish are attending a private Catholic school. They wear uniforms everyday and follow the traditional British school program.
3. Abish is 10 and in Year 6 at the junior school. In England kindergarten is considered Year 1, so Year 6 is actually 5th grade in the US. Next year in Year 7 Abish will start attending the senior school.
4. Hannah is 14 and is in Year 10 (9th grade) at the senior school. She is at the beginning of a program here called GCSE - General Certificate of Secondary Education. It is a 2 year program (Years 10 and 11)of academic qualification awarded in specific subjects. Students study for 2 years in subjects and are qualified based on assessments and course work. It is a rigorous program at the end of which based on grades on GCSEs students decide whether to go on for more schooling or finish (at age 16!) and go into a trade.
5. Tabitha is 15 and in Year 11 (10th grade) at the senior school. She is also in GCSE and her challenge is to catch up with the other students her age who have been studying for the GCSEs for a full year beyond her. She is doing very well, though. At the end of this year she will not go on to trade school and instead go into a program called Sixth Form or A-Levels which is basically 11th and 12th grades (Years 12 and 13). In this program she will study a fewer number of subjects in a more intense manner. This will be preparation for college and will be in a lecture format. Her speciality is art.
6. We will have to do some major adjusting in order for Tabitha and Hannah's schooling to fit in right with the US system, especially when it comes to applying for college. But we are confident everything will work out.
7. While in England we are allowed priviledges on the US/British military base that is about 1.5 hours away. Otherwise we are 100% living on the economy - in a British house, in a British neighborhood, going to a British church, and experiencing all things England.
Hope that help clarifies our XMas letter!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Christmas Letter 2010
Cheerio from Jolly Old England! The Nobles have finally arrived in the United Kingdom. We are living in a town named Cheltenham in Gloucestershire (shire means county). Nearby is Stonehenge, Stratford Upon Avon (birthplace of Shakespeare), & Oxford.
So far the adjustment is going well. There are different foods, different phrases (sometimes it’s like we speak another language), different customs, & different technologies to adjust to. We struggle with some things, but overall the experience has been wonderful.
Nephi & Krista ~ We think we have successfully learned to drive on the opposite side of the road. Krista has only hit 2 cars so far & really it was just their side-view mirrors. We are getting along well with the locals & Nephi has only shut down one royal air force base & diverted air traffic over Cheltenham for just a few hours. We had a package delivered that ticked like a bomb (the game Catch Phrase does sound like a ticking time bomb!).
Tabitha ~ School is radically different over here. Instead of 6 hours, British school is 8! It’s really fun though because everyone gets a half an hour break & a whole hour for lunch! Plus there are a lot of fun activities at school like reflection daytrips to local religious sites, & mufti day where we can come to school in whatever we want.
Hannah ~The castles & other places to go in England are amazing. So many places to explore & see. We have visited Sudeley castle & Warwick castle. We also went to Puzzlewood which was fun to explore around.
Abish ~ I really like school & the sports we do. I am doing swimming & field hockey. I’m also in chess club, Irish dancing, & drama. I’m learning Spanish & the schedule here is different. We do different things every day in school. There are school discos(dances) as well, which have themes like “Spots & Yellow” & also “Big Hair.” We have a break that is basically recess & we also have lunch & a break when you are done eating & during that break you can go to the library. We have no homework on Wednesdays but we do have homework on Fridays. School here in England is really different from school in America & there are things I miss from America. We also have to wear a school uniform.
We have been woefully behind in updating our blog (which many, many of you continue to remind us!). We promise to repent in the new year & keep you better informed of our adventures. In the meantime we wish you a very Merry Christmas full of love & blessings as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
So far the adjustment is going well. There are different foods, different phrases (sometimes it’s like we speak another language), different customs, & different technologies to adjust to. We struggle with some things, but overall the experience has been wonderful.
Nephi & Krista ~ We think we have successfully learned to drive on the opposite side of the road. Krista has only hit 2 cars so far & really it was just their side-view mirrors. We are getting along well with the locals & Nephi has only shut down one royal air force base & diverted air traffic over Cheltenham for just a few hours. We had a package delivered that ticked like a bomb (the game Catch Phrase does sound like a ticking time bomb!).
Tabitha ~ School is radically different over here. Instead of 6 hours, British school is 8! It’s really fun though because everyone gets a half an hour break & a whole hour for lunch! Plus there are a lot of fun activities at school like reflection daytrips to local religious sites, & mufti day where we can come to school in whatever we want.
Hannah ~The castles & other places to go in England are amazing. So many places to explore & see. We have visited Sudeley castle & Warwick castle. We also went to Puzzlewood which was fun to explore around.
Abish ~ I really like school & the sports we do. I am doing swimming & field hockey. I’m also in chess club, Irish dancing, & drama. I’m learning Spanish & the schedule here is different. We do different things every day in school. There are school discos(dances) as well, which have themes like “Spots & Yellow” & also “Big Hair.” We have a break that is basically recess & we also have lunch & a break when you are done eating & during that break you can go to the library. We have no homework on Wednesdays but we do have homework on Fridays. School here in England is really different from school in America & there are things I miss from America. We also have to wear a school uniform.
We have been woefully behind in updating our blog (which many, many of you continue to remind us!). We promise to repent in the new year & keep you better informed of our adventures. In the meantime we wish you a very Merry Christmas full of love & blessings as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
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