Tomorrow morning the gym in the elementary school where I teach will be brimming over with kids of pre-kindergarten age all the way up to 5th grade. Almost 900 children will be in attendance. They will most likely all be sporting new backpacks, new tennis shoes and maybe a new piece of clothing. Most of them will come in with happy smiles and excited to see old friends after the summer vacation. There will be others, usually the pre-k and primary kids that will shed a tear at having to come from their homes to such a different place that's so loud.
Teachers will also come into the gym. We will also perhaps wear a new outfit. The majority of us will be wearing a smile too. We will greet and welcome back students we knew from the previous year. We will attempt to ease the fears of the new students in our school. Some of us may too, shed a tear at having to leave the sanctuary of our summer vacation and come into this loud place.
By the time the dismissal bell rings in the afternoon to go home, all will be better in most cases. The new children usually having made a new friend or two and are feeling better about returning the next morning. Some of those little guys might take a whole week to warm up to this new school, but they will eventually come around. Yep, they will all find a classroom and a desk to sit in. They will all be marked "present" because no one is counted absent on the first day. They will probably write their name, perhaps color a bit and maybe even hear a good story read to them by a teacher or librarian. They will all have lunch. They will all find the restroom. Some of them will find the nurse's office. Finally, they will all go home. What more can we expect from the first day of school?
I'll let you know how it goes. Welcome Back to School, August, 15, 2005
4 comments:
Hope it was a good first day! You described the general atmosphere of a first day quite well. Guess that comes with years of experience. :)
I'm enjoying my first morning not at school in many years. But I'm thinking of all of you and wishing you the best!
No one's counted absent the first day? You mean we could have had one more day of vacation?
I'm remembering this for next year...
While you were working your way through a new roster of kids, we were working our way through moving. We moved into our new house yeaterday, and today I "officially" started my job at the hospital. The house is GREAT, but it's a wreck. I'll call you and dad later this week to fill you in.
I hope the first day of school went well (most schools around here don't start for another 2 weeks).
Mom, I'm glad your so pumped for the beginning of school this year. I am too. I feel good about my kids.
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