For many people, yesterday was the first school day of a brand-new year. The first day of school is always exciting and for little ones who are going to school for the first time, it’s sometimes fearful. For parents, a mixture of sadness, fearfulness, hopefulness, gladness, and a fervent wish for a great school year for that special child or children. For those with children going away to college, it is a time of sadness and trying to get used to that empty plate at the supper table.
For me, as a retired teacher, it is a time for looking back. Most kindergarteners came into my room all bright and shiny with carefully combed hair and a new back pack, eager for a new and exciting experience. But, some came in tears. I remember a few little ones who just were not ready to leave their mamas, and, after waiting a year, were eager for school the next year. Not all children mature at the same rate and that’s not an indication of anything except they need another year to grow. We are, each one, an individual with unique needs, abilities, and specialness. No child should be forced into a mold which doesn’t fit. Children are much more important than rules.
My best wishes for all this year, parents who are letting go of their most precious possessions for most of the day, children who are beginning a new phase of learning and growing, and teachers who have been preparing all summer. May it be an enjoyable experience.
Vector School Building. No transparencies or gradients used. Large JPG included. Each element is individually grouped for easy editing.
I remember seeing some of the the kindergarten kids crying. It never bothered me to go, but maybe because I didn’t live that far away from school anyway.
To some children, it is just a scary unknown. Maybe because they’ve heard so much about it and it looms as something out of their realm of experience. They are more comfortable with what they are familiar with.