Letter to A after her first week of school

pic curtsey: usborne.com

 

Dear A,

I am writing this letter to you because you have started a new phase of your life. You started going to Nursery in a formal school from June 2^nd 2014. Yayyyyy!!!

 

Though you started playgroup last year, this year is the beginning of formal schooling. We had many apprehensions while putting you in playgroup, so we chose a new school very close to our place so that we could pick and drop you ourselves. The first day at school and you put to rest all our misgivings. You took to it like fish does to water, always wanting to go to school. I do not remember even a single day when you refused to go.

 

 

Did that experience make it easier to transition to formal school?

Yes and No!

We knew you loved school and were looking forward to going to your biggg school in the big yellow busss, but it was going to be a new setting. There will be 35-40 children in a class as opposed to 12-14 in the play-school. We had a hundred questions in our mind. 

 

Was the school too far for a little girl like you?

Will the teachers be approachable enough?

Should we take the school transport or pick and drop you ourselves?

How will you manage for almost 5 hours away from home?

 

We didn’t know. What we did know was that you were looking forward to going to school and “I want to go to school” was something we heard almost every single day of the summer vacations. We did our best to paint a lovely picture of school in your mind. A place where you will find friends and nice teachers and there will be playing and singing and books and it helped to some extent, I guess.

 

Well, the new school couldn’t have started on a worse note. Few days before the first day, you caught conjunctivitis and then an allergic rash. It was horrible to see you suffering and it meant we missed the first week of school. First week was to be only an hour and a half to ease children into the new routine. We missed it and so it meant you were to be in the school on the first day for full 4 hours.

 

We were anxious again, but you went to the class happily and did not look back even once. We waited at the reception for an hour and reluctantly left the premises after being assured that you were fine. I went to pick you up and it took longer than usual being the first day. When I saw you, you were howling and nothing I could say seemed to pacify you. In those few minutes till we reached the car, I had imagined all kinds of horrible things. I checked your bag and you had not eaten your snacks. Settling you with a drink of water and with your snack box to eat, I tried to cajole out the information from you why you were crying. But you ate and then you dozed off. You were too tired to get up even when we reached home. It took me an hour to coax you to change and have lunch. Meanwhile, I had figured out a hundred reasons why I should not send you to that school. Well, after you had had your lunch and were calm enough to chat, I asked you why you were crying. And you replied,

“I wanted to go in the bus, but they didn’t allow me”.

Huh!!, did I hear that right? Yes, I did and it was decided that you will take the bus from the next day.

 

You have loved traveling by the bus so far except for Friday when you suddenly decided you wanted papa to drop you and that your bus was not nice. There have been other hiccups like when you told that a boy hit you accidentally on Wednesday and you don’t like eating in school, but we are getting better each day.

 

So, that is that! The first week has been a roller-coaster for all of us but you have handled the transition beautifully and we are so proud of you. You have even managed to get your papa to wake up early so that he doesn’t miss out on spending time with you on weekdays. 😉 You are only 3 years old but you amaze me every day with your big heart, warmth, generosity, your resilience and ability to adapt and accept the new.

Love you always,

Mumma & Papa