The First Day of School

It smells like rain at this school opined the newly minted kindergartener.  He was right.  He was also a little bit scared, grasping his grown-up's hand and not letting go.  I explained about the magic stickers I was adhering to their shirts - rubbing one sends love right to, through, and back from the other sticker, ameliorating loneliness on both ends - and his skepticism receded as his fingers caressed the smiley face.

I've been using that trick for 13 years.  The parents are usually as thrilled as their offspring.  Today was no different.  

He's our oldest and he's starting kindergarten.....possibly the most plaintive words spoken by any mom, anywhere.  I walked them toward their destination, commiserating with her.  I'd been there, felt that, although for my youngest.  

Returning gardeners had many questions. Old friends looked much more mature than when they were only a first grader.  There were new teachers, a new assistant principal, retired teachers, promoted teachers, and many students who are now taller than I am.

I love the sense of chaotic optimism common to first days of school everywhere.  We have an extra layer at Prince;  Do you speak English starts most of our conversations with new students.  The refugee coordinators and the school's translators and the Spanish speaking staff and Grandma with my stickers tried to get everyone sorted out.  

There was no panic. The people with the clipboards and the bright green TEAM PRINCE t-shirts were everywhere, and they had all the answers.  Parents were returning to double parked cars as the scholars hung up their backpacks and shook hands with their teachers.  

The Principal's voice came over the intercom speakers, reminding the teachers to turn on their Zoom connections for Morning Announcements.  All the kindergarten scholars were safely ensconced in the cafeteria (why? I do not know). The main office crowd had thinned to a sprinkling of adults filling out paperwork and several Afghan moms and their shepherd, a lovely man in an official polo shirt, who sported an official, logoed polo shirt, an enormous smile, an a limited amount of English.  

The school year was getting off to a typical start.   

I've been smiling all day.