first day of school

This Thursday was the first day of school at JCS. It was a half-day of school, as was Friday.  I can’t speak for my students but I was dead tired by the time they left for home and lunch and the rest of their afternoons. Wednesday night I was certain I wouldn’t be able to sleep because of nerves, but I slept fine and woke up more excited for this first day of school than any other first day of school I can remember.

Dressed in black pants, teal JCS-issue polo, and new black teacherly flats, I walked into the comedor (cafeteria area) of school to see a few hundred kids very excited to reunite with one another. Now, it’s one thing to feel out of place when, on your first day of school, you walk into the cafeteria trying to figure out which, if any, of your friends will have the same lunch as you, wondering who to sit with until you figure out where your friends are, and debating whether or not it’s cool to take out the napkin with mom’s “Hi honey, happy first day! Let your light shine! I love you, Mom” note. It’s quite another feeling to walk into the cafeteria (which doubles as the pick up and drop off spot), watch 250 kids running around with backpacks, hugs, secrets, smiles, laughs, slaps on the back, and the fastest Spanish I’ve ever heard in my life. I couldn’t stop smiling myself because…I guess I didn’t really feel out of place…I was just amazed and in awe of the incredible job that lays before me.

My first thought about my kids: they’re so little! I expected them to be much taller than they are. I have to keep reminding myself they’re only 9 and 10 years old, which apparently means they’re more petite than 9 and 10 year old Americans. I have 11 students, 9 girls, 2 boys, 9 who have come for the first two days of school and 2 who have yet to show up. We did the whole first day drill: 15 minutes of journal time to start, followed by classroom rules and expectations, introducing myself with a little “About Me” poster I made, and then practicing walking in a silent line from our 5^th grade classroom to the comedor for snack/break time.

Later in the morning we practiced singing“Every Move I Make” so we can sing it this coming Wednesday at Chapel with the 3^rd and 4^th graders. This was my chance to be a little silly and help them shake off their first day jitters. I was really happy that the “She is crazy.” look they first watched me with quickly turned into them trying to memorize the lyrics and following my hands-in-the-air-while-we-stomp-around-the-classroom-to-the-beat song practice. By the end of the second day they were asking if they could do it again, marching and clapping around the room singing and excited about this new song.

It was a really great first two days. Friday and Sunday afternoons have been full of looking at curricula and planning lessons, deciding where the kids need to be by Christmas and then by June in each of the subjects and trying to figure out what needs to happen when. This is a lot more than I ever though I would be entrusted with, but so far, even though it’s only been the first two relatively easy and fun days, I’m excited. I can’t wait to see these kids learn and grow and to play a part in it. The first memory verse we learned was John 13: 34, 35 “A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Imagine that, I did it by memory myself just now! Memory verse test for the kids tomorrow, and I know they’ve already got it down.

Lesson of the day: This was the first first day of school that didn’t leave me feeling out of place at any moment, even in the cafeteria.

p.s. I always loved those napkin notes, mom.