Enrolling Em in long distance ed: easy!

I really need to write a better list of all the things I need to do in the next three months before we leave. At the moment I have random scribbles and multiple half-baked lists and I rely on my subconscious to catapult urgent actions to the front of my mind – like renewing my passport after this next trip, and sorting out Ems schooling…oh but wait! That is already organized and it was oh, so easy! Who would have thought?

Hey, NSW public school system! You’re awesome. And Emmie’s current principal, Mrs Nixon was awesome too. I was worried that being a Catholic school for some reason they wouldn’t be happy about me taking her overseas. I had to have an interview about pulling her out for the year with Principal Nixon and she was so super supportive and kind and told me it’s a great idea. I went from feeling like a five year old in trouble in the principal’s office to almost feeling like an adult.

So I then I googled NSW distance education and found the education department page that said one of the reasons kids can do long distance education is if they are: temporarily resident or travelling overseas.

Whoop. I then made a few phone calls and found the Sydney Distance Education Primary School – www.sdeps.net

I called them, they sent me out an info pack – which was just like a standard school application. I filled it in, got Em’s dad to sign it, provided copies of Emmie’s vaccination certificate and birth certificate and proof of address and sent it off. Oh I think I had to send a cheque for $70 for the year.

And a few weeks later I called them to check how it was progressing. Emmie was already enrolled! It was that fast and that easy.  She is confirmed in the distance education class for Year 1 next year and we will go in and meet the teacher at some stage during term four this year before we leave.

We still need to work out the finer details of how I will get the course material each month (as we don’t have a fixed address or fixed itinerary) or if the portal will be ready for Year 1 by the time we go. Small details that will be worked out…but basically we will follow the NSW curriculum but just from wherever we are!

Until then, all I am focused on is the thought of Emmie learning under palm trees or on the Great Wall of China, and putting new concepts and learnings into action as we travel.  And I will be her teacher! I hope I am a good one!

Evie xo