My lovely husband, my 2 beautiful kids (7 and 13) and I are about to move to Fribourg after a whirlwind job offer. We are so excited!!
I am wondering about schools for my kids especially my eldest as we were considering an international school as the one in Bern has been recommended. I have no idea what the cost of this could possibly be and whether I should be sending the youngest one there too?!!
I've got a billion other questions too but will refrain for the moment and do some more research before I bombard this forum!
It's all happened so quickly my head is still spinning (we were told 2 days ago and are moving in 6 weeks!) any help, advice, stuff to do/not do would be really really appreciated!!!!
Say whaaaat? For good?! In 6 weeks time? Wow! Well, hmm, giddy up then very exciting! I don't really have any advice for you right now, so I'll wait and see what more specific questions you may have. Good luck with the move! I hope it goes very well for you and your family see you soon
I second that. Fribourg is such a gorgeous little city--a little jewel. And not far from Gruyeres (castle, cheese, double cream everything) either. And you have to try the Molino's pizzeria that is there in the main pedestrian area in Fribourg. It's the best pizza north of Rome that I've had.
Your excitement is contagious! I'm very happy for you and welcome.
Hi Faybay welcome to the EF. Hope you have an easy move. 26,27, 28,Aug. is the Highland games. In St Ursen. 10 -12 min drive from Fribourg. www.wuyuay.ch . Hope to meet up with a lot of EF members there, your family also.
Welcome to our wee little town of Fribourg. Seems to be quite an influx of peeps into the Fribourg area recently; 2 families coming to Villars-sur-Glâne, and another 2 here. We'll be oustripping the evil minions of Zürich before long. Do you guys know where you'll be living?
Have you considered local schools, especially as it seems to be a permanent move? Your eldest might find it tough, but the youngest will adapt pretty quickly. Having said that, ISB seems to have a pretty good rep (I know a teacher there) and there a few Fribourg kids who make the trip to Gümligen every day.
PaddyG's right (of course, he always is ), there certainly seem to be plenty of new people arriving in lil' old Fribourg. Just as well I got in with my permit renewal before the rush!!
Sorry, but I have no kids, so can't give you any info about schools - but if you have any questions, or need help with anything let me know. I'm a kiwi and have been living down in the old town (recently (FINALLY) joined by my husband)....
Unfortunately Fribourg might seem like a bit of a ghost town when you arrive as the students will still be on holiday, but there is still plenty going on (just have to know where to look!), and there is some beautiful countryside (Gruyere especially) a stonesthrow away....Fribourg is a beautiful canton!
I personally think the best bet for schooling and local integration for your children, is to put them into your local school system, and try to fast track their language learning - the youngest should pick up the basics quite quickly - as they get a bit older it takes a bit more time. Additional help is also given to children at school to learn the language.
The problem you're going to face though, in Fribourg, is that depending on exactly where you choose to live, you could be in a German or French speaking part - I don't know if you have a preference of one over the other?
Despite that Fribourg itself is technically bi-lingual - in reality the city is predominantly French speaking, and direction Bern is German; and the other way and immediately surrounding areas, French.
I have no knowledge of the International school at Bern (fortunately both of mine have grown up here and are bi-lingual - Eng/Ger), but their attendance might possibly mean that they were viewed as outsiders where they live.
I don't know if you've had the opportunity to look at possible areas where you may consider living, but in general terms the closer to Bern the more expensive rents may become.
However if a housing allowance was available, and rents not too much of a consideration, places that might work regarding commuting to Fribourg (hubby's work) and Bern (kids school?) could be:
- Düdingen, Flamatt (and a couple of places in between) - these are in a straight line between Fr. And Be. and are German speaking;
- Mürten is another possibility and is like a 3rd tip of a triangle (with Fr. and Be.) with rail access to both, and again is predominantly Ger. speaking.
Wow!!! Thank you all so much I am overwhelmed by your kindness and spirit you have shown me in all your replies! Now I'm even more excited to be coming over!!!!! I can't wait. I think I will put my wee boy in the local school as tough as it may be for a couple of months I think it will be worth it. However I am still a bit stuck for my daughter as this will be the year I'd the dreaded GCSE's! So. I really want to try and make it as easy fir her as possible. Bless! Anyway back to my excitement!! Hee hee!! I can't wait to meet you all. I handed my resignation in today and so did my hubby feels really real now!
Hubby's work is in Villars Sur Glane is there a lovely, beautiful, gorgeous place that would be amazingly great for my family and I to move to nearby? As I can only count to 10 in German and I can ask for a glass of wine in French I think I would be better suited to live in the French speaking part of Fribourg!
Wow!! LA to fribourg that will be different alright and I haven't even been to either place!!
Hopefully we'll see you there. I'll be the one with the big scared eyes wondering if I can remember how to ask for a loaf of bread in my high school French!!
I sincerely hope that your curve balls have been good ones and this is another adventure to rack up with your others. I hope our stay is for as long as we want. So at the moment for good sounds good to me! I hate moving house. But hopefully this will be a good move as I hope yours will be too.
We just moved from Glasgow to Villars-sur-Glâne last week and we are delighted. The girls (5 and 12 years old) have settled in very well, there is lots of children around, even English speaking ones ;-)
Regarding your eldest child, the school will organize help to catch up with French/German and everything they need. My daughters speak French but my oldest one doesn't write it so the head teacher said they won't take into account any marks until January to give her time to settle in. We know she will have to work hard the first year but she will catch up eventually. And I know that she won't be the only one to be in that situation ;-)
I hope you'll be as happy as we are! I am looking forward to meeting all of you!
Wow! Sounds great. Your reply couldn't have come at a better time. Just said goodbye to a great friend and was feeling a bit down so to read all the positives in your message has really cheered me up!! What is villars sur glane like? We're moving in about 5 weeks! Can't wait. Thanks again.