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DV 2015 Oceania winners

Does anyone know if there are toilets/bathroom upstairs in the Sydney consulate? I've been up there a few times for other general business trips but never needed to go or even thought about it, but my daughter just asked and it seems a good question with the kids coming up there with us in May... ?
 
No. If you need to use the toilet, you will need to go downstairs.

I got around this by (and it might be me being a bad parent), not letting the kids go nuts with their water beforehand so they wouldn't need the bathroom. In reality, we were in and out of the consulate in 30 minutes so it wasn't a long wait.
 
Cost of Public Schools in the USA - elementary > Middle > High ...
You are put in a school in your feeder neighborhood district, but that is all I know - has anyone had any experience with costs, processes, subject/grade equivalency? Thanks, Martin.

(I know the answer is send them to a private school, lol)
 
martinskypemartin said:
Cost of Public Schools in the USA - elementary > Middle > High ...
You are put in a school in your feeder neighborhood district, but that is all I know - has anyone had any experience with costs, processes, subject/grade equivalency? Thanks, Martin.

(I know the answer is send them to a private school, lol)
Click to expand...

Costs - technically zero. Technically, because the good school districts tend to have expensive property prices.
Generally, show proof of address and vaccinations and the kids are in. Assessment on grade level will vary by age.

Incidentally, many private schools in the US are not as well ranked as the better public schools, so don't just assume that's a good answer.

Greatschools.org is a great website to check potential schools.
 
@SusieQQQ - Thank you. So it looks like the nearest elementary school to where we may end up near our relatives is ranked a 1 out of 10 (there is no lower score), and we have to learn Spanish real quick to be able to communicate with anyone. Given this is cold Oregon, we would be better to be warm near the beach and be at a 1 school in Miami!
 
... I was really surprised when I googled the name of the school - more latino than Miami - I thought most folk in Oregon were white (according to the Gov Stats anyway) - clearly we are in the wrong 'hood'
 
... oh this is bad ... the elementary school's children's lunch menus - reads like a maccas ...

corn dog, hot dogs, hamburger, fish burger, cheese burger, fish and chips, chicken nuggets ... out of 33 rotational choices in the list there is only one that has vege or is not deep fried - #26 beef and brocoli

... well at least they eat something different everyday!
 
Has anyone looked into Richmond Virginia or know anything about the area for living there apart from what I read on wiki it looks like a good mix of USA but I would be interested to know if anyone out there had any options good or bad:)
 
martinskypemartin said:
@SusieQQQ - Thank you. So it looks like the nearest elementary school to where we may end up near our relatives is ranked a 1 out of 10 (there is no lower score), and we have to learn Spanish real quick to be able to communicate with anyone. Given this is cold Oregon, we would be better to be warm near the beach and be at a 1 school in Miami!
Click to expand...

No, you don't want a 1 school at all irrespective of weather. Ideally you don't want anything less than 8. If those are your options then looking into a private school may indeed be the way to go. However, given the wider ramifications of that school rating you should possibly be looking into moving into a different area. I believe even in the really bad school areas in the Bay Area the schools are 3 or 4 - so 1... no dude.
 
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martinskypemartin said:
... oh this is bad ... the elementary school's children's lunch menus - reads like a maccas ...

corn dog, hot dogs, hamburger, fish burger, cheese burger, fish and chips, chicken nuggets ... out of 33 rotational choices in the list there is only one that has vege or is not deep fried - #26 beef and brocoli

... well at least they eat something different everyday!
Click to expand...

There's immediately another difference with my kid's elemntary school. There are about 10 choices each day of which at least half change daily, and a good bunch of them are healthy options, including two salad options a day.
 
They say half an hour early but I'm pretty sure someone else said they couldn't get in until 7.30am. I'd get there at 7.15.

And good luck @Kiel! Get us another GC matey!
 
Does anyone know if the actual green card can be sent to the USPS postal service and then be forwarded onto Australia? The address I was going to use at the Poe has now become unreliable. I am starting to really worry unless anyone can advise if there is a postal service that would get my cards to aus. Or can the cards be sent directly to australia?
 
martinskypemartin said:
Cost of Public Schools in the USA - elementary > Middle > High ...
You are put in a school in your feeder neighborhood district, but that is all I know - has anyone had any experience with costs, processes, subject/grade equivalency? Thanks, Martin.

(I know the answer is send them to a private school, lol)
Click to expand...

I will be sending my children to private school to begin with. My youngest will most definitely begin in a Christian private kindergarten... high school... I wouldn't mind sending to a public school for high school. I teach at a private school here in Auckland and I have taught in public schools... I prefer private school- small class size, minimal (if not no) bullying ... would be few reasons for my choice... I don't care how much it cost... as a parent I will do the best I can for my children...
 
EmilyW said:
If it's in transit, that means you're scheduled, right, @Aucklander.

I haven't heard of any OCers getting their 2NL so I suspect they haven't gone out for our region as yet. There should be another 4-5 of us good to go in June.
Click to expand...
Emily... dv 2015- will all the visas get/be issued by 30th of Sept 2015??
 
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I apologise Emily- what I meant was... for the dv 2015... how long will they be issuing visas for dv 2015? I understand that America's fiscal year ends around September... so when is the cut of date for dv2015. Am I being clear? Sorry!
 
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