My daughter's letter to Santa is ready

This might be last year the letter might be addressed to the North Pole.  She decorated her wish-list with drawings of a Christmas tree and her family.  It's the first time she writes a letter in English.  It was longer than the letters she wrote in Spanish to Santa.

Incredibly, she didn't ask for electronic games nor fancy gadgets.  I was surprised to see that she asked for a bed for her doll because she doesn't want her doll (I forget its name) to keep on "sleeping"  on the Wii Fit pad.  My daughter also asked for hangers for her doll's clothing.

Some parents actually take their children's letter to the post office.  I'm putting this year's letter next to the other letters and the teeth sent to the tooth fairy, as they all some day may be returned to her.  Mean while, I'll enjoy treasuring them a little longer.

Father-daughter dance at St. Peter

Last weekend I attended my first ever father-daughter dance.  It was organized by volunteers and the St. Peter School teachers.  Where did my seven-year old learn to dance slow music?  She tried to lead most of the times, even when I had to carry her or when she stepped on my shoes.

All fathers wore suits that complemented but were no match to their daughters' dresses.  Daughters ranged from young toddlers to teen aged girls.  Some fathers had to dance with more than one daughter at the same time.  What a pleasure that most have been...!

In the back, families could have their pictures taken.  I am crazy to see these pictures and share them with my relatives.  It was fun to see Mrs. Kursonis doing the chicken dance.  I'm sorry Mrs. Cunningham did not attend.

I thank  Luke, Maeve's father, for introducing me to so many friends and helping my daughter feel so welcomed in this country.

Some drivers not so saint in Saint Peter school

St. Peter is a great school, from the quality of its education to the organization of its activities.  From its Fright Night in Halloween to last week's Christmas fair, or from the parents reunions to the volunteers' work, all activities at St. Peter have been well organized and executed.  So far, my major dissatisfaction comes from the few who, ignoring several signs, park on the fire lane or make a left turn onto Hammond St., creating a small but uncomfortable traffic jam for the majority of respectful drivers and even worse creating a potentially hazardous situation for all children and parents crossing the parking lot.

St. Peter or St. Stephen?

Although St. Peter and St. Stephan are sister schools in Worcester (they even share the same uniform), they welcomed in very distinct ways before we had made our choice of where to register our daughter.

I literally had to choke back 'tears of joy' hearing Mrs. Kursonis describing St. Peter the first day we when to St. Peter. She took the time to walk us around the school, including the library and the classrooms. We found the school to be a piece of heaven.

In St. Peter I was given a form to fill out, and I was told I should come other day and talk to someone else if I had questions.

Finding a good school is "one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration"

Preparation for finding a good school can be likened to the training of an athlete. There is no guarantee that you will find a wonderful school; no guarantees perhaps, but a greater likelihood. Information for picking a good school can come from many sources, such as magazines, personal interviews, blogs, relatives, neighbors, universities, business, etc, but providing good education for your children is something one has to work on.

Much depends on the the type of school and its location. You will also need to think what is your child really like. This is a starting point for finding a school to suit him/her rather than you, although you have to consider the timing of the school day and holiday-dates fit with your plans.

Jairo's Review

Mi daughter seems happy and excited about every school day, and even enjoys doing her homework. That may be common for many parents, but considering my daughter is shy, new in a big school, just moved from another country, and who can barely understand English, to me that is one of the main reasons moving to Worcester has been a wonderfully nice experience.

For people just moving to Worcester, or who are looking for a good school, I'd like to recommend St. Peter School. Its headmaster is Meg Kursonis, a caring person whose energy and enthusiasm is an example for younger people. In spite of her busy schedules, Mrs. Kursonis finds time to meet with all the families, know the names of parents and their children, be present to greet students at the beginning of every school day and at the end of every session to support teachers

I have got to know many other parents, and they all have excellent comments about the quality of St. Peter and its teachers. This school might be in a not-so-good part of Worcester, but its orderly system of teaching, the cleanliness of its installations, complemented with its Catholic education, make St. Peter a wonderful school.

Because reigning insecurity in my native Venezuela, and the need to improve my succesful but empiric career as an international corporate trainer, I decided to move with my family to Worcester, Ma. One of my main concerns was finding a good, safe school for may six-year old daughter, who doesn't speak English. I wanted a nice school, either free or not too expensive, that would allow my daughter to adapt to a new culture. After careful consideration, my wife and I decided for St. Peter's school. In only two weeks, we are convinced St. Peter's might be one of our biggest sources of satisfaction. That's why I'd like to help other people, specially from Latin America, by sharing my experience about finding a good school.