Hi all,
We are among the ones who dream about moving to Italy. We don't know exacty where in Italy yet, but we will avoid the very north because we are looking for milder climates than we presentaly have living now in Norway!
I have been searching in the internet for English speaking schools for our 9 year old daughter, but seem to find none in the center of Italy or thereabouts. What do you reccommend? has anyone had experience about it to help me out? I think that finding a good school for our daughter will define where we move to in Italy. I look forward to hearing from all of you! Rosaly Torvnes

I can't speak from personal experience because I don't have any children but, as a teacher, I've heard good things about the International School of English in Padua. I think they serve children from 2-19 and they offer an International Baccalaureate Program, which is recognized worldwide, at the secondary school level. Their web address is: http://www.eisp01.com/

Well, I guess Rome is about as "central Italy" as you get! Here, there are tons of English and American schools. I'm not sure which ones are good though.

I like the International School here in Florence and the only reason I didn't sign my 4 year old up for it was that I wanted her to learn Italian first. She will probably transfer there at elementary level. It's on two sites, your daughter would be at Bagno Ripoli until she turned 11, then she would move to the site nearer to Piazzale Michelangelo. It has a website too and the staff are open to you calling them. We had a look around and we were pleased with what we saw.

I believe that most of the English language schools will most likely be located in or around the largest cities...Florence, Pisa, Rome, etc...but check Siena, Assisi, etc as well. (There are a least 13 or 14 that I can think of in Rome alone...do a search on the Rome Int'l School Assoc and you should find some there.)
Is this a permanent move to Italy? Good luck!

Hi!
Thank you for your reply!
The thing is, Padua is in the north of Italy and we are trying to live in central Italy, due to the weather conditions being milder
We live in Norway now and need an improvement, if you know what I mean )

quote:

Originally posted by scbagrlss:
I can't speak from personal experience because I don't have any children but, as a teacher, I've heard good things about the International School of English in Padua. I think they serve children from 2-19 and they offer an International Baccalaureate Program, which is recognized worldwide, at the secondary school level. Their web address is: http://www.eisp01.com/

Hi Ramona!

Thanks for your reply!
Do you live in central Rome? My dream is to live not in the center, but a bit in the "country side". Maybe this is too much to ask and still have an international school nearby! )

quote:

Originally posted by Ramona:
Well, I guess Rome is about as "central Italy" as you get! Here, there are tons of English and American schools. I'm not sure which ones are good though.

Hi!
Thank you for your reply!
How close to the center do you live? I was dreaming about livind sort of in the "country side", away from tourists.

quote:

Originally posted by alyson:
I like the International School here in Florence and the only reason I didn't sign my 4 year old up for it was that I wanted her to learn Italian first. She will probably transfer there at elementary level. It's on two sites, your daughter would be at Bagno Ripoli until she turned 11, then she would move to the site nearer to Piazzale Michelangelo. It has a website too and the staff are open to you calling them. We had a look around and we were pleased with what we saw.

I live just within the city walls, so near enough, definitely not countryside. However, the school runs buses so it would be worth asking them from where. It seemed like a taxi service, so I think you could go further out if you wanted to pay the price. It would be preferable to trying to drive in everyday! Bagno Ripoli is very much in the countryside, you also have Grassina, Impruneta and Galluzzo over that side which are rural but reasonably close to town for the school.

Hi again,
I see many of you here have a link to your private blogs. Is this something we must pay for? I would love to have my Blog mentioned in Expats in Italy, althoug I am still an expat to be )
Rosaly

We live in the countryside SE of Rome--but maybe too much so! The nearest international school is Castelli International, on the southern outskirts of Rome. It has a bilingual program and left a good impression with me when I visited two years ago. Eventually we just thought it was too far to travel everyday (maybe an hour each way, or more with traffic) and decided instead to send our son (now 9) to the local Italian public school. Saving LOTs of Euros and he has local friends, so it's been mostly quite good.

Come and live by us (we have an apartment for rent) and my son will help your daughter with the 4th grade work in September(unless she's going into fifth?)

Hi Diane!

What an interesting reply
Well, how do you feel living there? Too isolated? Are you happy in Italy? I'd love to see pictures of the are you live in. My daughter is reluctant to want to move to Italy. She claims she dosn't know Italian, which I can understand. Not that we are ready to go either, but we plan to go as soon as my husband's finances allow that. That doesn't mean I will do nothing, but the possibilities for his finances to allow the move are greater than mine. Also, I am preparing my documents to apply for my Italian citizenhip. Who knows everything will be ready by the end of this year. Anyway, I would love to exchange more ideas with you and learn more about your experience. Do you have a Blog? Have you checked mine? www.movetoitalyproject.blogspot.com
Pleaser write again and tell me more about you?
Kind regards
Rosaly

quote:

Originally posted by Diane:
We live in the countryside SE of Rome--but maybe too much so! The nearest international school is Castelli International, on the southern outskirts of Rome. It has a bilingual program and left a good impression with me when I visited two years ago. Eventually we just thought it was too far to travel everyday (maybe an hour each way, or more with traffic) and decided instead to send our son (now 9) to the local Italian public school. Saving LOTs of Euros and he has local friends, so it's been mostly quite good.

Come and live by us (we have an apartment for rent) and my son will help your daughter with the 4th grade work in September(unless she's going into fifth?)

Hi Rosaly,

There's a lot I could say! Well, first, I do have a blog (diane-underanolivetree.blogspot.com) but I haven't posted lately. I am about to revive it and post regularly. It will give you some idea of some of the things that kept me busy a while ago.

I moved to Italy from the suburbs of New York and didn't speak much Italian. It was a BIG adjustment and takes LOTS of time (at least for me the adjustment is a process, not always linear). I was very homesick as we were trying to sell our home in NY, felt better once it sold, get homesick around the holidays when I think of the family together there and just us three here, etc.

As I've made a few local friends and set up a daily routine (walking every morning for an hour, for example) I feel more "at home". My house is finally coming together (we've been in it for a year but the rest (driveway, gardens) etc. weren't there yet. Italy is teaching this New Yorker patience!

It took a year to get my CdiS (residency paper) and now I'm working on my Italian license.

I could write much more but it's time for my morning walk, which today my son wants to take with me as he's not going to school.

I did notice in your Italy blog that you want a place that's quite warm in the winter. Here in central, mountainous Italy, we do get down to 0 or minus 1 or 2 and the mountain tops get snow (we get only flurries). I think you need to look SOUTH for the warmer winters!

Email me privately if you want pics (see my profile). I'll write more later!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Diane,

To link to your blog you go to GO in the tabs at the top, then Personal Zone, Profile...and signature. I am not very computer literate, but I think you put in your URL code, whatever that is! Search this board for previous posts. I'm sure there's info. I think you need to link back to here.

My attempt didn't work, but I don't think it's hard, it's just I don't understand URL HTTP and all that stuff!


Under an Olive Tree

Fixed link and will notify Cristina & Annika to fix your signature.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Gil,

Have you considered the International School in Genova? Liguria has a really mild climate and beautiful coastal towns and villages, it's beach and swimming time already here!

Hi Diane,

Thank you so much for yout tips. I think I have managed to have a signature now )

Cheers!
Rosaly

quote:

Originally posted by Diane:
To link to your blog you go to GO in the tabs at the top, then Personal Zone, Profile...and signature. I am not very computer literate, but I think you put in your URL code, whatever that is! Search this board for previous posts. I'm sure there's info. I think you need to link back to here.

My attempt didn't work, but I don't think it's hard, it's just I don't understand URL HTTP and all that stuff!


Under an Olive Tree

Fixed link and will notify Cristina & Annika to fix your signature.

Rosaly... just wanted to mention I lived in Sicily for 2 years (Siracusa) and it was COLD in the winter- I would say it only got colder in Trieste with the Bora (which I only experienced for 2 days- wow!), and I was in Torino in Nov. and it was pretty cold. Rome can also get bitter cold- lesson... I think almost everywhere in Italy has the potential to be COLD in the winter!

Rosaly, I'm not on this board very often anymore--use to haunt it for a while. To Piggyback on Diane's comments. When we were there for a year we put our then 8 year old in Italian public school and have no regrets. We investigated the international schools, which do have certain advantages, but decided that it was important for him to settle in and experience Italy. He is now fluent in Italian, had a very good year in school--receiving good grades and loved it. He has a blog that he started while there. Your daughter might be interested in reading some of his experiences. He is now 9 and in the 4th grade back in the states. KZ in Toscana We're going back for two months as soon as school is out as he misses his friends and can't wait to see them all again. Actually, he considers himself Italian.

Hi Jane,

Thank you very much for your very kind note.
I checked your son's Blog and thought it was amazing! I will show it to my daughter! Tell me, did you work while you were in Italy?
Kind regards

Rose

Rose, no, we did not work. My husband and I are retired and raising our grandson (which makes us parents again.) We had the advantage of spending our days exploring and enjoying life. It was a delightful year. If you have other thoughts or questions, feel free to e-mail or pm me.

Hi all! I am a very inexperienced (and very new!) Forum member. But it has been really interesting reading all your messages as we are also hoping to be in Italy for about nine months during 2009. We have a 10 year old boy and so schools have been an issue. Valli I was hoping to chat to you about the International School in Nervi as that is the one we have selected as bing ideal. Do you know it well? Also I was hoping to find out how we can rent a house - ideally near Camolgi. Any tips would be really appreciated. Cheers!

quote:

Originally posted by Valli:
Have you considered the International School in Genova? Liguria has a really mild climate and beautiful coastal towns and villages, it's beach and swimming time already here!

One thing to consider when selecting a school is its schedule. All the international schools I've looked into follow the Monday-Friday 8:30 or 9 a.m start until 3 or 4 pm finish schedule, but Italian public schools may be six days a week. This is fine if you are working and want to have Saturday morning to shop and clean without your child at home (though realize that they will be getting home on most days at lunch time, unless they stay after for specials) but not so good if you want weekends to explore. Just something to consider if you go with a local Italian school. In general international school tuition is high and salaries here are low.

quote:

but Italian public schools may be six days a week

But..........not all Italian schools are six days. Some schools offer a choice of schedules. Italy is quite different from most countries when it comes to school hours.

We had a choice at our school--6 days or 5 days. We chose the M-F schedule so that we would have our weekends free. Casey went to school from 8:30-4:30. It sounds like a long day but he handled it very well. However, the middle scjool was 6 days as are most high schools