Somehow Hop is already through her first year of high school. I think every parent has that feeling of disbelief when their children pass through milestones like that but it came a little earlier because we live here.
The reason for that is that, at least where we live, the transition to high school happens a year earlier. Her primary school was Year 1 through 8. We moved here when she was three, so she went through primary school from start to finish. When she started we would drop her off and marvel at how much older and bigger the Year 8 kids were. When she finished, we would be at the school and marvel at how small and young the Year 1 kids were.
High schools in Wellington cover years 9-13, so five years instead of the typical four in the US. It meant she felt particularly young to be moving on high school. Because we’re in the Wellington city zone, she had her choice between a couple of public high schools – Wellington High, which is co-ed and doesn’t have uniforms, and Wellington Girls College (many high schools are called colleges here – after college you go to university, or ‘uni’), a girls only school with uniforms (for Years 9-12). She chose Wellington Girls, or ‘dub G.C.’ as it’s known.
The college is pretty well regarded, with a long history. It serves all of Wellington so it’s a decent size – she has about 1,500 other girls in her Year 9 class. The college grounds in many ways feels like a mini-university, with various buildings spread out across the open grounds and a wide assortment of classes. She’s adjusted well, and has joined a couple of clubs and is playing a sport.
One other big adjustment has been that Hop now needs to take the bus to and from school. It’s about a 15 minute ride into the city and most days she can take the school bus, which is basically a regular bus but the route ends at the downtown colleges. Other days she can just take tne normal bus, so she is becoming much more independent.
It’s hard to know what differences between her experience with high school and ours are because of things that are unique to New Zealand or Wellington, and which are because teaching and times have changed. Either way, I’m that next feeling of disbelief as she heads off to uni will come sooner than we think.
Kiwi Bound 