Back to school

All around the country, students are going back to school in the next few weeks. As most of you know, I am an elementary school principal so going back to school means so many things to me. Most of all, it means new beginnings.

New clothes

For many of our families, back to school means going to buy new school clothes. I remember as a little girl, back to school clothes shopping was so much fun! We would buy 2-3 new shirts and pants, plus we always had to get new shoes. I would come home from shopping and we would have a fashion show in the living room for my dad. He probably wasn’t near as excited as I was, but he always made me feel pretty. Even today, I like to buy a new outfit for the first day of school.

New school supplies

My favorite thing to buy was new school supplies! How many of you remember the Trapper Keeper?   

I was never more excited than the day I got to buy my first Trapper Keeper. I thought I had hit the big time for sure. I always loved getting a box of sharpened pencils, a new bottle of glue, a clean pencil box and most of all, a box of perfectly shaped, unused crayons. Oh my…I still love getting new pens and a shiny new spiral for school. As a young girl, I would lay out all of my school supplies and rearrange them numerous times so that they would fit just right in my new backpack. 

New teacher

What an exciting day it was when I got to find out who my new teacher would be and then, even more exciting, was to find out which one of my friends would be in my new class with me! Meet the Teacher at my school is a very well attended event where students can come to school a couple of days early to find out who their teacher will be. They often bring their new school supplies so that they don’t have to drag them to school on the first day. Meet the Teacher is so exciting for students and for the teachers! 

New beginnings

The best part of a new school year is that everyone gets to begin anew. No one has preconceived ideas on a student’s ability, behavior or work ethic. The teacher has high expectations for every child on their roster. The children believe that they have the very best teacher in the school! No one has disappointed the other and they all have high hopes for the best year ever! Everyone gets a new beginning.  

Here’s to a new year

I guess I’ve always loved school. I loved the way it felt walking into my new teacher’s classroom. I loved the way it felt to have new school clothes and new school supplies. I loved the way the papers smelled and the way they felt in your hands after they had just come off the mimeograph machine. (Remember the purple print). I even loved the smell of rubber cement. 

Today, I love to watch students walk into the building with excitement in their eyes. I love to watch the teachers light up when they see former students return to give them a hug. I love the freshly hung bulletin boards in our school. I love that everyone gets to start over and no one has preconceived notions about a student, a teacher or the principal. And yes, I even love my new gel pens that I bought to match my new spiral notebook.

Welcome back to school!

Be Blessed,