First Day of School

Monday was the first day of school.  It's always exciting.  Exciting even for me - and it was my 40th first day of school as an educator.

As I visited every school, I listened as teachers and principals marveled at how smooth things were going.  How well behaved the children were.  How all the plans for executing the first day worked well.  I always remind them that we all know how to "do" school. 

People ask me “How was the first day?  

I generally joke that “All went well.  We didn’t lose any.” 

Truth is, sometimes we lose a child or two – temporarily.  Imagine the logistics.  Schools like Central Elementary have 600+ students.  Most all of them ride the bus.  Many are not going home after school.  They’re going to after school care or grandma’s house or dad’s house.  Sometimes we have the wrong info.  It is easy for the child and/or the school to get confused.  “Oh wait.  This is Tuesday?  I’m on the wrong bus.”

One middle school student failed to get off the bus at home as expected.  In fact he failed to get on the bus.  For some reason he decided to walk home with a friend and didn’t think it was necessary to call his mom for permission.

Most parents are amazingly patient and understanding when these things happen.  Thank goodness all of our bus drivers have cell phones and we can quickly confirm a child’s whereabouts.

I remember the first day of school in September 1962.  We had moved into a new community.  My brother Davy was in 6^th  grade.  I was in 5^th and my sister Mary Jane was to start kindergarten.  We were all in White Hall School that had one class for each grade.  My mother gave us strict directions to collect our sister after school and see that she got on the right bus.   At the end of the day, wrapped up in our own friends and the excitement of the first day, neither of us even remembered having a sister.

Mary Jane and her friend got on the wrong bus and didn’t have a clue that it was wrong until the driver, at the end of the run, looked around and asked “Why are you still here?”  Needless to say, there was some punishment for the Curry boys when it was all over.  I don’t recall my mother or father suggesting it was the school’s fault.    

Here’s to another great year.