All our young Canadian friends who turn 5 this year started school today. I have been looking through the digital album amazed at the changes those years have brought and delighting in the characters that they have become. Many are headed to French immersion, a couple into the French system, and one to an alternative school that teaches social justice (where they started with a potluck meal for all new families today).
Seb has been counting the days until school commenced. And he bounced into today unlike any other (including Xmas and birthdays). The photo somehow just does not capture it, does it! But it does capture his dress sense - well, most of it, as he also asked to wear a big necklace of mine. We still huffed and puffed our way along College street in 26 degree sunshine with oh, 90 seconds to spare...
But M managed to stop by school at pick-up time (but Sebastian just wanted to go off an play). The new teacher was suitably impressed by petit monsieur's base knowledge of French - but didn't suggest that we enrol him now in the Sorbonne. He has already picked up his first birthday party invite (phew, he has friends).
To ground all this excitement, we had a chat over supper about the millions of children who don't attend school because of fees, distance and discrimination. He had recently seen a short video about east African children who RUN an hour to school. Do people know Panawapa Island - an international education website that is an offshoot of Sesame Street? a We decided to make an annual donation to an education rights campaign at the start of every school year. Hopefully, it will be meaningful to our children, as well as helpful to others.
But to all of Canada's new students, remember that learning comes in many forms and that schoolyard friendships can be forever.
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