First day of school
Shiny new backpacks and spotless uniforms were all the rage in the Lower School this morning on the first day of school.
Lower School Head Diane Hunt was at the front door to greet every student. Lexi ’20 stopped for a hug on her way to kindergarten while her big sister, Emma ’18, waited for her to catch up.
Spider Man and Miss Kitty are particularly popular backpacks this year. Some of the backpacks were almost as big as the students carrying them and packs that double as wheeled suitcases came in very handy.
Some Beginning School students were a little unsure about bidding adieu to mom and dad, but not Macy. She quickly made friends with a small humpback wale and settled right in.
By lunch Macy had made several new human friends as well.
Not surprisingly, the first day of school was rough on a few of the parents too. Claire ’21 was all smiles on her first day of Beginning School, but her mom, Monique, teared up a little when Claire presented her with note assuring she’d be home at 3pm.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
This seems like an appropriate time and place, just after the first day of my son’s third year at CWA, to bring up our family’s one gripe about this great school: why, oh why, do we start before Labor Day? This is a major holiday for our family, when we like to take an extra day (Tuesday) and extend a little mini-vacation. There ought to be a law or something that no school can start before the Wednesday AFTER Labor Day. I think I will write my congressman.
Congratulations on a great start to the new school year. Beginnings are a wonderful time.
August 31st, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Thanks for your comment, Kevin. At least we know that SOMEONE is reading this blog!
I’d be happy to explain our rationale for our start date each year. We have for many years always had the first day of school the Wednesday before Labor Day. By beginning then, our first week of school is a 3 day week, our second week of school is a 4 day week, and we don’t have a full 5 day week until the third week of school. This is a gentle and effective way to make a transition to the school year, and students, parents, and faculty seem to appreciate that.
Also, fall sports practices start on a day determined by the Washington State Athletic Association (over which we have no control). All students participating in fall sports (a not insignificant number) would need to be in town for the start of practice, which is yet ANOTHER week earlier! And there is a WIAA rule requiring each athlete to have participated in at least 10 practices before they play in their first game.
I’m sorry that this adversely affects your family. Perhaps you can take some (small) consolation knowing that school gets out in June a week earlier than it would if we started after Labor Day.