Education of the future at Avenues.

September 2012 marked the private school, Avenues, opening its doors to the future generation of multilingual and digital savvy students.

As an expat, the first thing you probably realised is that having multilingual children is a huge advantage for them, both in terms of career prospects and for the sake of appearing cultured.

You may be interested to learn about Avenues, a new school which is an advocate for multilingualism and technology. At this school in Manhattan, New York your child will be integrated into classrooms where they will be learning and speaking in Mandarin and Spanish as well as English.

Once in these classrooms, they will be using an iPad from the age of seven, proving that the school lives up to The Wall Street Journal’s review as ‘the most technologically sophisticated school in the country.’

A world school

Avenues plans to open 20 campuses all over the world within the next 10 years in places including London, São Paulo, Mumbai and Beijing. Avenues is not currently a hub for expat kids, nor is it recognised an international school as 80 percent of parents are New York locals with the means to afford the $40,000 a year fee.

Instead, it wants its students to leave the school multilingual and technologically savvy, while the school develops into as Avenues names it, a ‘world school’ where students will have the chance to study at other campuses across the world while learning fluency in new languages.

The main reason for this private school developing is that the CEO, Mr Whittle, believes that the current education system has become stale, especially with regards to modern language learning. He is convinced that because we are so used to one way of education and always have been ‘if a Martian came to earth and went to a school in Notting Hill or Beverly Hills or Beijing, they would think they were all pretty much the same thing.’

Not only will Avenues prepare its alumni for the global market, it will also host the students in an out of this world, high ceilinged and spacious setting. The school boasts ‘unusual light’ with 700 ten-foot-high windows.

The modern, global student

According to Avenues, The idea of the global student is not just one about language learning. Its pupils will study classes on global subjects such as demography, environmental sustainability, world geography, economic trade and world religions. Students will even have classes on email etiquette, preparing them for the digital age too. In short, Avenues wants to brace their students for the future as multilingual, global and technology trained citizens.

In their school life, pupils will be given the opportunity to study abroad in Europe, Africa, South America, India and China. The purpose of this is not just for students becoming well rounded individuals with a cultural alertness, but also, for college and university applications, where global experience is appreciated.

Avenues’ current plan is to be in partnership with schools across the globe so that students will have the chance to study semesters abroad. After other planned Avenues schools across the world open, students will be offered the opportunity to study in a similar way at the different Avenues schools.

In retrospect, as an expat you may worry about which school to put your children in and whether an expat education is the best quality learning environment for them. For New York locals willing to put their children into Avenues, they have chosen an expat education, as having children fluent in a second and even a third language with a global understanding seems to be the fashionable thing. But as an expat learning another language, you and your children can probably get this type of education gratis, albeit not as in such a bright environment and with the standard pen and paper.

For more information about Avenues, visit avenues.org/world-school

Will your child grow up to be an expat?

A good educational environment is one of the prime concerns for expats moving abroad, and the choice of school can have a profound impact on children’s development and happiness in later life. Life for expat children, with the regular uprooting and relocation, can be hard on them and their parents as they try to maintain a modicum of stability.

Talking with Marcia De Wolf, Head of Community Relations at St John’s International School, Expat Kids examined some of the points raised by St John’s’ recent poll about growing up as an expat. The questionnaire asked respondents whether they were, or were considering becoming, expats themselves; as well as questions about some of the challenges facing kids growing up in an expatriate environment.

Expat kids become expats?

With the St John’s poll identifying a majority of expat kids (84%) grow up to be expats themselves or plan to live abroad in the future, it seems that the difficulties or challenges of a childhood abroad are minimal or outweighed by the positives.

Mrs De Wolf mentioned that the most common issue was related to the perceived lack of a ‘home’ created by constant postings abroad, which is understandable and perhaps goes some way to explaining the continuation of expat living from childhood to adult life.

International schools play a part

How well an international school prepares children for living their own expat life depends on a variety of social and educational factors. Marcia de Wolf outlined the way the disconnection from their originating country can be eased initially for children by establishing a new kind of extended family with people from the same country.

Beyond this it was an important part of school life that diversity and discussion became part of students’ engagement with cultural estrangement. By encouraging students to lead the debates and to relate to new cultures, international schools should not only ease student integration into the school community, but also impart important skills and create a receptive attitude to new ideas.

Third culture kids

Another interesting area of the poll was the issues surrounding life as a ‘third culture kid’, someone who spends the majority of their childhood outside of their parents’ culture. At St John’s, as Mrs De Wolf explained, the school has both direct support and a commitment to diversity that helps children adapt to life abroad. The school has pastoral staff who are on hand to give appropriate counselling, as well as staff who are familiar with the transient nature of international schooling.

The uncertainty of being abroad may create problems at first, but it can also form a universal common ground for friendships; many of which are maintained by students through school, university, and later life. Whilst high student turnover rates in all grades, not just graduating classes, would normally be seen as destabilising to children’s relationships, this does not seem to be the case. As Mrs De Wolf explained, if the school maintains an atmosphere that fosters attitudes of openness and enhances social skills in children then, students can adapt and thrive.

Should school uniforms be mandatory in all schools?

Plaid skirts, khaki pants, white polo shirts. Whether children despise or approve, it is not uncommon to see kids all around the world commuting to and from school in their uniform. Wearing a uniform for primary and secondary school-aged children is common practice in many countries, but uniform policy continues to be a highly debated topic amongst educators and parents.

School uniforms were originally worn by orphan children who represented the lower class. Around the 16th century, during the reign of King Henry VIII of England, the uniform eventually gained a reputation of a higher status quo–one that denotes integrity and obedience, excellence and superiority.

Nowadays, school uniforms are not only implemented in England. With as many educational institutions as there are around the globe, it is impossible to supply a list of which countries have uniform policies. Plus it varies with a considerable degree from city to city, district to district and school to school. Most kids in Asian and Islamic countries wear uniforms, but in continental Europe, Canada and the U.S., a uniform policy is rare in state-funded schools. It is common in most private schools however.

Many developing countries, such as those in Africa or Latin America, implement uniform policies because educators believe that having a uniform gives the students a sense of pride toward receiving their education. It is also safe to say that most international schools worldwide do have some sort of uniform policy.

School uniform pros and cons

Specifically in the U.S., but in other countries as well, the school uniform debate seems to be a never ending predicament, with neither the pros nor cons outweighing each other. Three main arguments stand out: the desire for safer schools, social conflicts amongst peers and cost.

Arguably, the strongest point in favor of implementing school uniforms is to make schools safer. Security guards would be able to easily spot an intruder, but the issue of students sneaking contraband weapons onto school property would not be prevented. Uniforms prevent the use of sexually explicit clothing and gang-related attire, so schools promote a more professional learning environment, but it is also argued that students in uniforms are robbed of their individuality, and uniforms limit a student’s freedom of expression and suppress their creativity.

Another advantage of implementing mandatory school uniforms is if all students were dressed the same, social conflicts would decrease tremendously. Uniforms would reduce the risk of muggings and attacks on those wearing designer clothes, and students who are not able to afford the latest clothing trends are less likely to be judged due to their family’s economic status. On the other hand, it is pointed out, that cliques will continue to be formed and students will always be able to find a way to discriminate against their peers, regardless of what they are wearing.

Lastly, those against mandatory school uniforms argue that they are an additional, unnecessary expense toward their child’s education. Uniforms can be quite costly, especially if a family has more than one child attending school. Additionally, uniforms for P.E. and extracurricular activities, such as sports programs, is another expense that each family must budget for. Those who are in favor of school uniforms argue that buying a uniform for school, in the end, is less costly than buying the expensive, latest trends at the beginning of every school year.

Do your local schools have uniform policies? How do you feel about school uniforms? Let us know in the comments section below!

Getting used to a new country’s food is just one of the adjustments internationally adopted children will need to make!

With the recent signing of an agreement between the U.S. and Russia that tightens the regulations on Americans adopting Russian children, the issue of intercountry adoptions has once more been put into the spotlight. All adoptions require a degree of adapting, but if the child is not only moving home but moving country does this make the process any more difficult?

There have been a number of high-profile adoptions by celebrities, and intercountry adoptions in countries such as the U.S. and UK reached highs around seven years ago. However, stories such as that of the American woman who sent her adopted Russian child back to Russia on an aeroplane alone have demonstrated the difficulties that can arise. International adoptions have declined from an estimated 45,000 in 2005 to 25,000 in 2011.

There have been many reasons cited for this decline, one of which being the Hague Adoption Convention. Guatemala was one of the countries from which Americans adopted most of their children in 2008, but adoptions from there have now been put on hold as a processing system that complies with Hague regulations is being set up.

Another reason for the decline may be the stories of fraud and trafficking surrounding the topic, raising questions as to where some of the adopted children have come from. There was also bad press over the American woman who, in 2010, sent her Russian child back, after which adoptions from Russia to the U.S. were temporarily suspended.

Adoption paperwork can be overwhelming

The way in which the process works depends on the countries involved, but it can be a long and paperwork-filled journey for some. Qualifications have to be met both for the adoption itself and for the granting of new citizenship to the child. Once these stages have been completed, the hoped-for happy ending (or beginning) is in sight, and for every bad story reported in the press, there is another success story.

However, adopting abroad is far from straightforward, and there will naturally be a period of ‘adoption adaptation’; the process does not simply end with the filing of the final paper. The older the child is, the longer this adaptation may take, particularly if they have come from more difficult backgrounds. There have even been suggestions that not enough support exists to help families adjust once the adoption has taken place.

In the case of the woman who sent a boy back to Moscow, behavioural issues and violence were cited as being the reasons she no longer wished to parent the child. Most adoptions don’t reach these extremes, however moving both into a new family and a new country at the same time is a big change. Children adopted internationally are often faced with a brand new language to master, as well as changes in diet and customs. Imagine the culture shock of moving from China to America, for example, compounded with finding yourself in a new family, with new parents; a change even harder for older children.

Maintaining links with the child’s birth country

There is the question of how much, and how, to keep them in touch with their home culture. UNICEF sparked debate a couple of years ago with their position on international adoptions, seeing them as not always the best first choice and putting importance on the child’s birth culture and heritage. MPs in Rwanda have in fact raised questions over the extent to which a preservation of Rwandan culture and values is a part of adoption arrangements.

Maintaining connections to their home culture will require knowledge and effort on the part of new parents to ensure that children have an awareness of their two cultures and why they are linked to both. South Korea even offers ‘cultural training camps’ for children who have been adopted from abroad, introducing them to their birth country. Similar camps are also offered in the U.S.; at a Vietnam Heritage Camp, for example, children adopted from Vietnam can spend time with other Vietnamese adoptees, learning about the country’s history and culture.

What is in a child’s best interests is a much-discussed issue, and every family is different. Currently, the ‘cultural decisions’ are mostly left to the parents, though ensuring a child belongs in their new home country and maintaining connections to their roots is surely a balance worth striking.

Increasing junk food consumption and child obesity levels are a cause for concern

Nearly 40 per cent of Emirati and expatriate schoolchildren in the UAE have been classed as overweight. News which has prompted recent worry amongst health professionals and parents alike. The UAE is not alone in this, however; excess weight is a problem affecting children in many countries and is linked to health problems later in life. As of 2010, more than 40 million children were classified by the World Health Organization as being overweight.

Ensuring your child is eating right is important no matter where you may be living, though it may prove more of a challenge in some countries than others, or in a time of upheaval, such as a relocation.

Not only will school lunch offerings differ, but you may also have to adapt to a different eating culture altogether. Mealtimes may change, the ‘popular’ snacks may be different and food that you are used to buying may not be as readily available. However, it seems that the culture of junk food is becoming more and more international; increased consumption of western-style processed food has been reported in developing nations. Soft drink consumption, for example, is expected to double in the next five years in Vietnam and India, and to increase by 50% in China and Egypt. The percentage of obese children in China grew from 3.9 to 6.5 per cent between 2005 and 2010. Although this figure may compare favourably with some other countries, it suggests that it’s a growing problem, and one to be tackled from a young age.

The USA came bottom out of the ten countries that feature in the HSBC Expat Explorer Survey under the criteria of ‘My children are eating less junk food now’. The UK follows in ninth place, and the UAE is eighth, whilst France meanwhile, comes in first. Of course, statistics may have little bearing on an individual child’s diet, and it’s important to know what your child is eating, particularly when not at home.

It’s worth checking what schemes and guidelines are in place regarding the school food in your new country. School meals in France, for example, are often described as being a fairly sophisticated affair, and keeping your child’s eating habits healthy may be easier if the food placed in front of them at lunch time is not a burger and chips. France’s child obesity rates have also remained between 6 and 8 per cent in the past 20 years, whereas in the USA, over 20 per cent of children are classed as obese.

Moving abroad with a child who has become accustomed to the tastes of your home country may pose the odd challenge when it comes to mealtimes, and eating ‘home foods’ can help in the adjustment process. However, introducing them to the traditional (non-processed) foods of your new home may be a step in the right direction when it comes to avoiding the increasing onslaught of junk food.

One school in Birmingham, England has pupils who, between them, speak 31 different languages at home. Image: © cienpies.net

Schools in London have some of the most ethnically diverse students in the UK. In a recent study, information was collected on the language children speak at home. It found 60% of students reported English as their first language. Nearly 40% of those surveyed speak a minority language at home. Bengali, Urdu and Somali are the top languages spoken after English.

“London’s increasing language diversity attracts much interest and debate among public service providers, educationalists and the public. Yet little was known about the numbers of people who speak different languages, and the implications of this dimension of population structure and change,” explains Professor Dick Wiggins of the Institute of Education, University of London.

True multicultural environment

In the news recently it was reported that students at a primary school in Birmingham, England, spoke 31 languages between them. The languages, all spoken as a first language, include Arabic, Spanish, Tamil and Polish.

As expat families discover, enrolling your children in an international school isn’t the only option when relocating abroad. In a state education system with such diversity teachers are well trained in dealing with pupils for whom English isn’t the first language. This extends to managing cultural differences and behaviour.

While the school in Birmingham clearly presents a challenge to teachers, it has achieved remarkable results. Last year 91% of students scored the benchmark level of four or above in their English SAT exams. SATs are standardized tests in English, maths and science and are administered as part of the National Curriculum in years two, six and nine.

According to the HSBC Expat Explorer survey the UK ranked third in terms of the quality of education available. This was behind Singapore in first place and Hong Kong in second. Many teaching degree now include teaching English as a second language in their curriculums. This is set to improve the way teachers interact with students who are from another culture.

Countries with high expat salaries are not found to be good environments for raising children.

According to the HSBC Expat Explorer Survey countries reporting the highest expatriate salaries don’t have the happiest children. In fact, some of the countries with the happiest children rank the lowest in terms of parent salary. This goes to show that what children relocating abroad need, isn’t necessarily related to money.

The countries rated the highest in terms of raising children were France, the Netherlands and Australia. While they were seen as having the best environments for raising children, there were nearer the bottom for economic benefits. France was ranked at 26th, the Netherlands at 29th and Australia in 22nd place.

The reasons these countries ranked so highly as a good place to bring up children are related to health, safety and environment. Respondents reported their children spent more time outdoors than the average (France 53%, Netherlands 53% and Australia 75%). Children also played more sport (France 47%, Netherlands 56% and Australia 81%). This was compared with the survey average, 47% and 46% respectively.

On the other hand, countries which were ranked low on the Raising Children Abroad table, UK (10th out of 10 countries), the USA (9th out of 10) and Mexico (8th out of 10) tend to score highly for expat salaries (joint 10th and 9th respectively out of 31 countries).

Safety also appeared to play a factor in why these countries scored so poorly. The average percentage of expats who feel their children’s safety has deteriorated since relocation is 16%. A quarter of people who moved to the U.S said the safety of their children had declined, 28% in the UK and three quarters of people in Mexico reported the same.

Hong Kong and Singapore provide the best of both worlds. Ranking highly in terms of income and still mid-table for raising children abroad. Children receive high quality childcare, find it relatively easy to integrate and lead moderately healthy lives.

For people without children, Thailand was ranked as the best country in terms of overall “expat experience”. It is seen as the easiest place to find accommodation, organize healthcare and has a healthy work-life balance.

More expatriates are choosing a tutor to help get their children into the top international schools.

As entry into the top private schools becomes increasingly competitive more expats are hiring tutors. These modern tutors are often multi-lingual, artistic, sporty and accompany their charges all around the globe.

“London’s affluent expat population particularly seems to favour tutoring, which is making the market competitive,” founder and director of Holland Park Tuition, William Stadlen, told Spear’s Wealth management Survey.

“As there is now a bottleneck of kids competing for fewer places at top independent prep and public schools, people are turning more and more to tutoring.”

While tutoring often involves individual teaching on one subject, tutors for the wealthy are often expected to go above and beyond the traditional call of duty. One tutor for a well off family was taken on a skiing holiday in order to coach their daughter through her upcoming exams. He was expected to teach the girl in the early morning before she went skiing, at lunch then in the evening before dinner. He even accompanied them to the nightclub in the evening.

With school entry exams becoming increasingly competitive and top recruiters looking for the best graduates, parents are doing more to push their children to academic heights. For expats with children it can be as simple as the child falling behind with their studies due to the move abroad.

How to find a good tutor abroad

Rebecca Zook, an experienced maths tutor, offers some advice for expatriate families looking for a tutor.

• Ask around – check with your child’s teachers at school, other expat families, online expat forums, someone out there may already have a contact.
• Check online – many tutors have their own websites and advertise online. In the U.S Craigslist has many tutors advertising, this is less popular in other countries.
• Look for individuals – tutors who work independently rather than through an agency tend to have more invested in their work.
• Consider online tutoring – if you are struggling to find a suitable tutor in your new country look online for one from home. An online tutor can work with your children wherever you are in the world and even continue when you move back home.
• Speak to the tutor – once you have a list of candidates contact them and get a feel for their personality. You can also check their credentials, experience and teaching style.
• Have a trial session – Organise a trial lesson with the tutor. Get your child to bring some recent work they have struggled with to base the session on. By the end of the first meeting you should be able to gauge whether the tutor is a good match for your child.

Finding a good school for your children as an expat is daunting - don't underestimate the role school administrators play.

As expat parents we want and expect an international school to give our children a quality education, excellent sports programs, fabulous teachers, a school administration that listens and responds to parent needs, and a positive social network for children and parents. The bottom line is, we want our kids to be “happy” and we believe those components in a school will help achieve that.

It comes down to the fact that fees for international schools cost more than most four year colleges. Naturally, parents believe their expectations should be met at this price. At Live and Learn we are regularly approached by parents asking what makes a good international school or how they should decide which school is best for their child.

As I began to think about my various experiences in different international schools as both a parent and professional, I discovered a key element that seems to tie all these expectations together. We need teachers who are truly motivated by really great administrators. Any administrator can dictate what curriculum needs to be taught. They can give teachers the books, workbooks and kits to follow. The truth is we want our teachers to be creative and excited about teaching. We want them to WANT to teach our diverse children according to their individual needs. School administrators who know how to motivate and help teachers create this classroom environment do so because they know good teachers can change how our children view the world.

Happy, supported teachers equal happy, supported kids

If teachers aren’t excited, motivated and supported with what they teach then why would our children be excited about learning it? Our international school teachers are open to working with children who come from diverse backgrounds, know multiple languages, and have varied learning styles, but it isn’t easy to teach to all these differences often while settling in a new country themselves. They require support, resources and inspriation from a mentor, coach and leader. Without such a powerful force in every teacher’s life, the daunting task of reaching each learner, skill building to their needs and exciting them about learning will be impossible. Teaching in international schools can be difficult. The help of motivating administrators and using a team approach within each grade level will help alleviate these feelings and can spark that creativity. Happy, supported teachers will equal happy, supported kids!

Speaking from experience, I had the honor of working with just this type of administrator. Kathy Duncan taught me that not only do most teachers love what they do, they want to learn more about how to do it better and it was a principal’s responsibility to help them achieve that! Kathy always organized book clubs and sharing sessions for the teachers to talk about their ideas and share new and exciting ways to teach ALL children. The teachers were always so motivated by her staff meetings that it changed the school drastically when she left. A good administrator is a key component to education and will effect whether our teachers and students are able to soar high.

What is the “take home message” to parents here? Choosing an international school can be overwhelming and daunting. A piece of advice is to interview the principal to understand the kind of leader they are. Ask them what kinds of programs and initiatives they have put in place to keep staff morale high, motivation soaring and inspiration flying! A good answer could very well yield a great schooling option for your child.

For more information on keeping your family healthy and happy abroad visit ExpatFamilyHealth.com.

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Alicia Mirabelli is a US-certified Clinical Social Worker, and has been living internationally since 2008. She found being an expat wife was wonderful but she felt compelled by her training and background to help others.  In 2010, Alicia began her work with Live and Learn, an educational consultancy firm based in Singapore.  Alicia is currently working as a Consultant, Program Supervisor, Diagnostician, and Case Manager while raising her two elementary aged children in International Schools.  She works within the local and international school systems in Singapore and assists families with difficult decisions about their child’s schooling abroad.

To learn more about Alicia and Live and Learn, please visit www.liveandlearnasia.com.

Expat household routines can be organised using apps. Image: falconreid

As an expat mother who lived in Singapore for nearly six years, I never actually had to worry about cooking, grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning and keeping the house organized.  As part of the Singaporean expat culture, most families like us hired full time, live in, domestic help.  So when we learned, early in 2011, that we would be moving to Northern Europe and domestic help was no longer a possibility, I had to figure out what I was going to do!  I had never been a mom without the help!

Moving to a new country with a five and six year old is challenging enough, but to have never been a mom without domestic help, well, that took my learning curve to a whole new level.  Morning routines, cooking, cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping, all the while holding down a full time job….needless to say, I was overwhelmed.

Enter the world of apps.  As an educator, I know the power technology offers in the form of educational apps, but as a mom, I quickly took advantage of how it could help me every day.

Morning and evening routines:  Chore Pad (US$2.99) is a brilliant, user friendly app that we use every day to get ready in the morning and before we go to bed at night.  I entered in each child’s responsibilities and assigned a number of points they could earn for completing it.  They LOVE the sounds after they “tick” off a task as complete.  In addition, I can enter rewards they can “purchase” with the points they earn.  Weekly they have to pay points towards their offering in church or when they want to buy something in the store, they can choose to use their points as currency.

Getting ANYTHING done in a timely manner:  Time Timer (US$1.99) is an app that is well worth the money!  The visual timer allows for the children to see exactly how much time is left…and helps them learn the value of time, too!  (Next time they say, “Can I just watch TV for 5 more minutes?!?” you can say, “Sure!” and set the time timer for 5 minutes….they can see just how short that time is!).  We use the time timer for morning routines such as how long until we have to leave for the bus stop or for doing homework, how much quiet reading they can do in bed, etc.

Leveled reading:  Learning A-Z (Language Technologies, LAZ Readers) (US$6.99 for a library of books at each level) has libraries of leveled books from A-Z (visit their website at www.readinga-z.com to best determine what level you think your child is at).  A great tool for supplementing reading activities with your child and you know they are reading books at their appropriate level. In addition, with all the traveling expat kids do, I can have all their books on the iPad instead of in their carry-ons.  Often while I am preparing dinner, I open up a book for them to read to me!

Meal planning: Meal Board (US$1.99) – I can’t express enough, for a person who has never cooked in her life, the importance of planning meals in advance.  Dinner never sneaks up on me anymore because I know what I am going to cook!  Meal Board allows you to enter in your meals, ingredients and recipes and sync them to your grocery list!  I have downloaded about a half dozen of apps like this and I find this one to be the most useful, by far.  This one is on my iphone which I take to the grocery store with me and tick things off my list as I put them in my cart.

Household duties organized:  An app that thinks like a mom!  HomeRoutines (US$3.99) has helped me to figure out how to get it all done during the week!  I truly dislike housework but I love checking things off my list.  This app helps you plan your housework throughout the week to make sure it all gets done….I also love the “speed cleaning” challenge where you can push yourself to clean a bathroom in record time!

Housework is never fun, but motherhood is incredible.  Using these apps has helped me focus less on the housework so I can be a more organized and efficient home-maker. This in turn, helps me to be the best mom and wife I can be!

Carrie Lupoli, a US-certified and experienced educator and school administrator, has been living and working internationally since 2005. Originally an expat wife herself, she saw the discriminatory practices against children with special needs and knew she had both the experience and knowledge to help. Although starting Live and Learn meant giving up her “expat coffee mornings,” Carrie has never looked back and continues to oversee the company remotely from her newest expat assignment, in Northern Europe, while taking on all those household responsibilities!

Though Carrie is now working remotely, she remains very active with Live and Learn, consulting with European and Asian schools, and writing while parenting two beautiful daughters with her husband, Peter. To learn more about Carrie and Live and Learn, please visit www.liveandlearnasia.com.  You can also follow Carrie on Twitter at @CarrieLupoli or her daughters who tweet about being expat kids at @elementaryexpat