Today is the day that

school goes back. It will be the first day of school for some and the first day of high school for others. There will also be the first day at a new school for still others. There will be new teachers to get used to and all sorts of other "new" things...some good and some  bad, others just average.
The Whirlwind came in and informed me that she couldn't find her school sports hat. As she is generally careful this bothered her greatly. I pointed out that it was sitting where she had left it last week - when I suggested that she renew the cord that adjusts the brim. (That was a simple matter of threading a new cord through.) Right. It was not entirely her fault. She went home with other things.
Had she done everything else that needed to be done? Did she want me to check? Yes, all done - and no I don't need to check. She has finally decided she is old enough not to need me to check. She is growing up at last.
Her subjects were decided last year and she had holiday tasks to complete.
The Whirlwind will have the responsibility for a new boarder too. It was not something she really experienced herself because she was very young when she began to board and she was cared for by everyone in the boarding house. The new student is coming in from the country for the first time - at the age of eleven. It is still young to be away from home. The Whirlwind met her once towards the end of last year and had plans to "show her everything - and, if she's homesick then I'll tell her that's okay and I was too". It will be interesting to see what she has to say next weekend.
I can remember one first day at school after another, one first experience after another. I can remember new teachers, new rooms, new subjects, new pencils and new notebooks. New text books were rare. They were passed on from one year to the next. I had usually read most of them over the summer. (I drew the line at the maths texts.) It happened so many times that, while I never grew used to it, the idea stopped being new.
I wonder how many of the children starting school today will remember the "new" of it all. Will they like it? I know several children who are starting today. Three are looking forward to it. One is not. He didn't like being at day care and he thinks school will be more of the same. I hope he changes his mind when he realises there is more to school.
I feel for him though. I think I am glad I am not starting school now, that I don't have at least twelve years of school ahead of me. I know I didn't have the same facilities. There were usually 45 to 50 students in the classroom too. Now there are computers in classrooms. The "blackboard" is a "whiteboard" hooked up to a computer hooked up to the internet. There are around 20 to 24 students - and 24 is considered "big".
Are the students better off now? I really don't know. I am just glad I don't have to find out for myself.