My Whirlwind First Day at School

As I walked through the wrought iron Victorian gate, my head was filled with a whirlwind of emotions and possibilities. This was my first day at primary school and I could only dream about what was in store.

I felt overwhelmed by the roar of children and parents rushing to make it in for 8.30. Noise wasn't new to me, my sisters would make sure of that, but this was deafening and I was feeling nervous.

I felt alone when my mum hugged me goodbye and left me reluctantly, to sob in a corner of the classroom. She was my safety for the first five years, and now she was gone! The three hours until I saw her again felt like three years.

Hassocks Infant School, where I would spend 3 lovely years.

I felt interested, perusing the wall displays of 'Annie Apple' and 'Golden Girl', wondering what it all meant. It was to be the first English lesson that would stick with me all these years later. Together with the classics that my mum would read to me, these lessons shaped my future - I didn't know that then of course.

I felt excited, the classroom had a sandpit! "What would I build?", I thought. That wet blob is a house, and that one with an extra blob on top is a cat. The teacher knew that of course, she was just tricking me when she wondered what I had created!

I felt relieved. This was the first time I met my group of friends, whom I was to share the next ten years. We were from different backgrounds but that classroom brought us together and we'd have many happy memories together.

By the time the bell had rung for home-time, I was desperate to tell my mum all about Annie Apple, the sandpit and my new friends. She asked, "would you like to go again?" and....

I couldn't believe my luck!