On the way to an "-ology"

Today was Ariel's first interview. He got offered a place at E*anuel School. It is a small Jewish school set up originally by the Reform movement and now seems to be very popular. About forty kids per year. We've been lobbying / badgering anyone and everyone for a place since before we arrived in Sydney and until last week had been told that there was no place available. Sort of thing you are supposed to sign up for at birth which is a bit of a disadvantage to immigrants.

So we get there at eight in the morning having argued about nonsense since I think we were both a bit stressed - Ariel wasn't. Some spotty schoolboy with learner plates was trying to parallel park and nearly took out the pavement and a piece of his car. Ariel takes a fancy to all the trophies in the waiting area outside reception. The head of primary turns up. Ariel refuses point blank to shake his hand. I don't think Ariel has ever shaken hands before actually and I heard this evening that this guy is very into his manners in a wanna-be English public school sort of way. He then curls up into a ball on the chair.

We had to bring some recent pictures he had done. Note to self: Bring ones he remembers drawing. Bring ones where the main protagonists don't have green hair. Bring ones where the house is big enough for the people to get into unless you can convince your kid to say that it is in the distance. So not too high a score on the artwork but got extra credit for looking at his birthday watch and blurting out the time when he was getting bored. Clinched the place by saying he could count to four hundred and up to whatever in Hebrew - no thanks not today. Actually, at this time of year, I think they wanted the income thank you very much. Ariel tries to give him a high five on the way out - oops.

Taking a five year old for an interview grates the heck out of me - what on earth is the school screening for? I shudder to think.