The question I keep getting asked.

"So how will it go transferring to Australia, education-wise?"

The question comes in various forms, but I've had to explain a lot recently to northern hemisphere folk that Australia's school year starts at the end of summer, just like many Western school years, it's just that that equates to the end of January. 

Christmas in summer at school in Australia.

Therefore our boys will finish the school year here in June at the end of grades 3, 5, and 9 in June and five weeks later start halfway through grades 4, 6, and 10 in Australia. 

In January next year they will begin the next grades (5, 7, and 11). Then in June next year the plan is to leave Australia and come back to Japan where they'll start those grades all over again! Thankfully there is different curriculum, so hopefully they won't get too bored. 

Earlier in the year we initiated the procedure to enrol them in the same school they were enrolled in last home assignment. A Christian school on the west side of Brisbane where people in admin know us. We're hoping that the familiarity of going back to the same school will help with the transition and with making friends.

But the larger answer to the question is, we're not really sure. Each time you go on home assignment it is different. Your family is at a different stage. We've never taken a 15 year old home for a year before. We're not sure how it will work, but we're doing the best we can to make the transition as easy as possible. Our boys don't struggle much with school work, so we're not too concerned about that. 

So, we wait and see and continue to commit this whole big move into God's hands. Trusting in his care over our family.