First Day

She climbed out of the car, grabbing her books and backpack. As she walked toward the front of the school, a million questions swirled in her head. Will 5th grade be that much harder than 4th grade? What if she can't do it? What if all her friends forget about her, now that they are separated? She pushed those thoughts aside and followed the crowd inside.

She already knew which room she would be in. Even though she was supposed to be outside, she took a minute to walk past it. Peeking through the windows, she could see row upon row of desks. She checked the class list posted on the door - there was her name, along with 32 others. How would she keep track of all those people? Would they treat her nicely? Gathering her courage she headed out to the playground.

She found her friends right away, bunched together, discussing their summer vacations. They chatted until the bell rang, then said goodbye and walked toward their class lines. They wouldn't see each other again until recess. As she joined her line walking into class, she look at each face. Some she knew from last year, others were new to her. She wondered how she would feel about them after a whole year of sharing a room.

When they got inside, they all put their things away. As the shuffling and whispering died down, she slowly raised her hand for attention. Here we go. Time to make a first impression. Everyone turned to her as she opened her mouth to speak...

"Hello, everyone. My name is Mrs. H. Welcome to the first day of school."