Hello My husband and 2 boys ages 11 and 9 will be moving to BA in Oct.

[shayla]

Hello,

My husband and I and two boys 11 and 9 are moving to BA in Oct. WE are looking to rent an apt. that is near or walking distance to a school. I am looking for advice on a school that is near to an apt location is unclear to me and so would like to know what neighborhood this is and if anyone on the list can recommend a school that would potentially take our boys for only 2 months Oct. Nov till Christmas break.

Owner says 'Wonderful strategic location -Barrio Norte / Recoleta- 1 1/2 blocks from subway 1/2 block from Santa Fe Av. for buses all over BA-
walking distance to alto Palermo and village Recoleta.

Please let me know.

Thanks,
Shayla

 

[jez]

Are you looking for a school that is near to this apartment or an apartment that is near to a school?

Recoleta is Recoleta. Recoleta / Barrio Norte means it's not in recoleta (or they would say so) it's in Barto Norte. 1.5 blocks from Av Santa Fe probably means its beween Marcelo T de Alvear & Paraguay.

If you had kids why not thinks about Palermo, it's closer to parks and open space.

Walking distance from Alto Palermo and village Recolata - they are almost 3kms apart so that's a big area the apartment could be in..

 

[shayla]

Hello Jez and everyone,

I want to clarify, I am both looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment and a potential school for my boys 9 and 11 to attend from Oct. to Christmas break.

I know that is a very short period but really need to have them in school for several reasons. Does anyone on the list have any recommendations for either. I would be very interested in the Palermo area and or another area that is very central and is walking distance to a school, restaurants, entertainment, etc.

I have also received info from an apt. owner who makes reference to his area as "La Isla" and says it is a good location close to embassys? But is this close to restaurants etc.?

I hope to get any leads and advice from those of you have have experience in the area.

Thanks,
Shayla

 

[citygirl]

A few things - I don't think you'll have a lot of luck finding a school to take your kids for that short a time and even if you do, why would you want to put them in school when it is almost the end of the school year? School starts in March and ends in early Dec. So you would be putting them in class for the last two months of the year? It doesn't really make any sense (at least to me) and I doubt you will find a school that would do it. I would homeschool them or if you can't, maybe find a private tutor to school them?

You are here for such a short time, IMO, your kids will get a lot more out of the experience by traveling and seeing the sights, museums, etc. Growing up, when my father was on sabatical in Europe, I would go with them and just do private lessons so that I could experience the country. I got a lot more out of it than I would have gotten out of taking classes for a few months.

Re: La Isla - I have never heard of that neighborhood. Most of the embassies are in Palermo Chico or Belgrano Chico - both of which are lovely areas.

 

[Ries]

For the price of a school, you could hire a full time tutor- probably somebody with an undergraduate degree. Wages are low in Argentina. A nice educated young man or woman who could teach them all kinds of things, plus, accompany them on the subte to musems, parks, concerts, films, and the thousands of other events and destinations that make Buenos Aires so great.
There are lots of opportunities for sports, lessons from specialists, and short classes as well- your kids could ride horses, go windsurfing, learn to paint filete, play futbol, take music lessons, and lots more, or they could sit in a stuffy hot classroom with a bunch of kids they dont know for two months, having missed the first 8 months of the courses, and be bored.

I know which I would choose.

Personally, I just give my kids 20 pesos and let em hit the subte, and live on super panchos and ugis, but that was when they were a bit older, and here for a shorter time.

 

[deeve007]

For the price of a school, you could hire a full time tutor- probably somebody with an undergraduate degree. Wages are low in Argentina. A nice educated young man or woman who could teach them all kinds of things, plus, accompany them on the subte to musems, parks, concerts, films, and the thousands of other events and destinations that make Buenos Aires so great.

Would agree with this.

 

[glasgowjohn]

I think la Isla is in Recoleta

lMy better half says it is the area between Avenidas Las Heras, Libertador, Pueyrredon and calle Agüero

 

[jb5]

Yes, la Isla is Recoleta. It's an isolated part of the barrio though, quiet with few cars, but not an active part of the city where you're close to restaurants and activities.

I'd also not send the kids to school based on the quality of most schools and hearing from other expat families that settling in to them takes time and effort for the kids and parents. A tutor probably will cost less than sending 2 kids to school and can keep them current with the curriculum back home.

 

[fifs2]

Hi Shalya
Dont be put off in your quest to place the kids in schools as you are not the first expat who has asked or done this..I have personally met a family who visit every year and place their US kids in school July & August..but they are truly bilingual (actually trilingual since they speak Chinese as well as English and Spanish) so if your kids have no Spanish it would be a nightmare 2 months for them as the private schools are bilingual, half day English, half day Spanish.
Don't worry however as you could enroll them for the English part of the day only (this is also common by the way) and as you are a paying customer the schools are usually happy to take you in . One consideration is uniform which is a standard requirement in all private schools and will cost you min. 500 pesos per child so you'll need to factor that and the matriculation fee (usually min. 2500 pesos per child) into the economic equation + the monthly quotas which start at 2500 per child plus extras like transport, lunch room etc

You will find a whole host of schools in Belgrano (the person I mentioned her kids to Washington) so see my previous posts on most common school options for expats..Recoleta doesnt have any option that I know of so Id find the school first and then pick the appt to avoid having to treck from Recoleta to Belgrano every day.

Anyhow read my and others posts on schools by using the Search function and then PM for more info. I have been more than happy with the school experience for my own children.

 

[Davidglen77]

Re: La Isla - I have never heard of that neighborhood. Most of the embassies are in Palermo Chico or Belgrano Chico - both of which are lovely areas.

"La Isla" is the most exclusive and expensive part of Recoleta. It's isolated in the sense that the few streets within it do not have any retail businesses and are all residential. However you are just about a block away from Av. Las Heras which has every kind of business from Starbucks, to supermarkets, bus lines, you name it.......it's there. Plus plenty of parks, hospital (Rivadavia) and there are plenty of private and good ones at that in the area. Oh and don't forget the national library which is open 24 hours per day!