Memorable first day for first-timers and families

Plenty of hugs and teary goodbyes as parents drop off children starting school for first time

Yesterday was an especially memorable day for some UAE families as they marked the first ever day of school of their children.

Out of the million-plus students returning to school yesterday after the long summer break, many were toddlers taking their first steps inside a classroom.

Hugs, kisses and teary-eyed goodbyes were a common sight as parents dropped off their little children. Some children settled right in, embracing the school environment, while others needed more time letting go, being away from parents and home for the first time.

“It’s an emotional thing. I had a little tear in my eye. My son, Aaron, was happy. He has a wonderful teacher and school who are very welcoming. He was in class, talking and making things right away,” said Irish expat Madeline Cartwright Johansen.

Aaron, 4, was excited to join kindergarten for the first time, at Bradenton Preparatory Academy in Dubai Sports City.

“It’s a big day for parents too, leaving the kids for the whole day. It takes a few days to adjust. But he loved it. We had a wonderful time, and there was nothing to worry about.”

She added that helping matters was the fact that Aaron is “very outgoing”, and was happy to see two boys he already knew in the same class as him.

Another Bradenton parent, Celine Jollivet, who is French, said she “wasn’t nervous” as she had already had the experience of the very first school run with her eldest child. Sunday was, however, the first day at kindergarten for her four-yearold daughter Adele.

“Adele had been counting down the days to school. She was very happy to go to school finally. She was like, ‘OK bye, see you mum’. She is very social so I knew she would be fine,” Jollivet said.

‘Excited and apprehensive’

In Abu Dhabi, Ahmad Fareed, a 37-year old human resources assistant manager from Egypt, is both excited and apprehensive about sending his son Adam to school for the first time, which will be today in his case.

“My wife is worried that he will not eat well, especially as he takes a long time to have his breakfast. So we’ve decided to give him some milk before he goes to school, and then pack a sandwich and fruits in his lunch box so that he doesn’t get hungry,” Fareed said.

Barring the usual jitters, the father added that he is confident his son will fit in easily.

“Adam is not uncomfortable around strangers and makes friends easily, and that fact is reassuring to me as I send him off to school.”

Other kindergartens in the capital are also starting classes later than yesterday.