Hello All!
My family will be starting our Swiss adventure somewhere in the Vaud region this summer. My wife's company sprung this on us very recently so we've been struggling trying to find an opening (lots of wait lists) in a school for our 8yr old, which will then determine the general area we'll be living. If all were to work out perfectly it would be in the Lausanne area as that's where my wife's office will be. That will leave me the house husband (which I read here can add it's own unique twist) for at least a while till our 2yr old heads off to school, so I will definately be looking here for opportunities to meet others and get out and enjoy the area.

I've found ton's of great information and advice here so thanks to all of you and hope to meet up with some of you soon!

Welcome there are a few Ohioans around here too.
Hope you'll like it here !

Hi, Welcome to Switzerland. We are new to the Lausanne area with a toddler in tow too. Lovely place. Good luck with your move!

Aloha, how I miss Ohio! Welcome to Switzerland. It's a completely different vibe here. People are more individual here but if you are open minded, you will definitely get in. Lots of expats and people from the four continent so don't be afraid, you'll find the liked mind people for sure. Take care.

I'm originally from Ohio and moving to Zurich for my husbands job! I understand the school wait list. I'm looking for a Montessori kindgarden for my daughter so I can find an area to live in... Good luck with your search!

Hello-
We are moving from Iowa to Zurich in August. Did you all ship boxes/hire movers.,etc? We are in need of advice for moving. We are only shipping clothes and books (no furniture).

Getting excited for the move. How are you settling in so far??

Cheers-

We are in a similar situation as yours, moving over in August to the Lausanne area. We are planning a scouting trip in July to hopefully find a house and get things situated with our son's school. As to the moving, we are lucky in that my wife's company is paying for the move and providing a 40ft x 9ft x 9ft container into which we can pack pretty much whatever we want.

It sounds like you are on your own as to getting things over so I'd probably do exactly what you are doing and send as little as possible and then scour the classifieds and visit ikea to fill out my house. Depending on what you are doing with the rest of your belongings in Iowa, I'd have a couple boxes of things that I think I might want with me packed and ready to go and have friends/family ship them over after the fact if needed.

Good luck!

Hi and welcome! My father used to work in Canton Vaud, lots of fond memories of the place. Best wishes to you and your family

I saw your thread concerning the school information.

Try here Longbyt's school info sticky, it has the info about private schools.

LOOK HERE FIRST for Childcare/Schooling / Family Info / Help Sites

Do get on several waiting lists, otherwise the only option will be the public school.
Public school is excellent by the way, and the age of your child it should work out fine.
Nevertheless only private schools offer an education in English.

Thanks Sky,
We are on several (6) waiting lists but this was the first acceptance. The particular problem in this case is that since it is so close to the start of the school year the school, La Cote, is requesting that we officially sign on with them within the week making the company liable for the whole years tuition OR we can give up our spot on the wait list. I understand thier position it's just that we will not be able to make it over to Switzerland till mid July and i'm a little leary about sending my child to a school I have not been able to visit or that anyone here has any input about. I'm asking the school for an extension otherwise, I'm sure the company has enough high paid lawyers for them to break the contract if need be and there is always the public school route. I was just hoping to run across someone who had an input (good or bad)

Welcome to Switzerland Buckeye! Been here 2 years as well, we love it! Best of luck on your move and making friends. Ohioans are friendly so it wouldn't be hard for you I am sure. What part of Ohio are you from? I lived in Dublin (Columbus) while going to The Ohio State University. Enjoy!!! Go Bucks!

Thanks,
I figure there will be an adjustment period but we'll do fine once we get over all the initial craziness. We're from Cleveland but have been down to Columbus a number of times.. let's see in European travel terms that's like 1 maybe even 2 countries away... that will be one of the really cool things about the move. Very tough off season for the buckeyes but they will bounce back.

I understand how you feel, that's a tough one.
It must be a relatively new school, it's the first time I've heard of it.
That could be a blessing.... bilingual schools are much appreciated.

Perhaps the relocation service of your wife's employer can guide you ?

Hopefully they will be able to. Things are starting to get a bit (understatement) frustrating. There has been an unexplained delay in getting the relo package approved and we can't do anything official till that's done. I would delay the whole thing but for us the moving date has always coincided with the start of the new school year. I'd hate to bring my kids to a new country then throw my son into a new school a month or two after everyone else has already started. We'll see

Welcome from another Clevelander. There's a few of us Ohioans on the board, just keep your eyes open

Beats me why there happens to be more of us ?
Come to think of it, we seem to be the majority.


ps. Relocation packages that happen at the veeeeery last minute.... are quite common.

I am not a buckeye but my two youngest kids are! We are Dutch but lived in Westerville, OH for 5 years...

Now we live (since 1 week lol) in Beringen, close to Schaffhausen and our kids will got to the International School of Schaffhausen

Good luck with the move!

Good luck to you!

We will be there in a little over a week for a housing/schooling expedition, then with the kids in mid august. I've been to Amsterdam, Utrecht and Leiden for work, very nice areas! By the way, that's a long bus ride for your kids to get to school (I didn't recognize the name so I had to google the school for fear I'd missed one in my search for a school in the Vaud area)

Spoiled kids, me or my husband will drop them off/pick them up.....My oldest could if she wants take the school's shuttle bus to Schaffhausen trainstation and then take the bus home...

If you could stand living in Ohio, Switzerland will be a piece of cake!

Tom

P.S. Really, Ohio was hell on earth, and then some!