started school?” A boy nearby put his hand up. “Yes, Thomas?” she asked.
“Miss, miss, I saw a fire engine on the way to school today, miss. I reckon there must have been a fire somewhere ’cos it had its lights on and everything,” he said excitedly.
“Did it, Thomas?” she said with a smile. “Well, I’m sure that was very exciting, but can anyone remember their first day at school?”
The boy who had been staring at Joe put his hand up.
“Neil,” said Miss Parker. “What can you remember?”
“It was scary, miss,” he said. “And I didn’t know anybody.” A couple of the girls giggled and the boy called Neil went a little red in the face.
“That’s enough, Molly ,” said Miss Parker, frowning at the most giggly of the girls. “It was scary. Yes, Neil. Starting school can be very scary, can’t it? And not knowing anybody can be a bit frightening too.” Everyone nodded.
“Well, then,” she went on, “I want you all to close your eyes and have a little think about what it might be like if today was your first day at school and you didn’t know anyone.”
Everyone closed their eyes. Joe wasn’t sure if he was meant to close
his
eyes. This
was
his first day, so he didn’t have to imagine it. A boy with curly hair picked his nose.
“OK,” said Miss Parker. “Now I want you all to hold onto that thought of what it feels like to start a new school, because as you may already have noticed we have two new children in the class today …”
Two? thought Joe, and he looked around trying to guess who the other new boy or girl was.
“So let’s give our new classmates a big welcome,” said Miss Parker, “and make them feel at home. Joe” – she beckoned him towards her – “and you, Billy. Up you come and let everyone see you. Come on now. No one’s going to eat you.”
Joe felt his ears going red again as he got to his feet and walked over to stand next to Miss Parker. The boy called Billy had been sitting right at the back and took a little longer to get there. He was about Joe’s height, but skinnier with a mop of blond hair. He looked miserable.
The morning passed quicker than Joe had expected and all of a sudden it was playtime. Not knowing anyone in his class did not seem to matter when they were listening to a story or drawing a picture, but now, as he looked out on a playground full of children, Joe’s heart sank once more.
He scanned the playground. He had to find the cool kids. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally end up making friends with the losers. These first few minutes might decide who he was going to play with for the next few years.
The children were all rushing about in groups, intent on whatever game they were playing. Joe just stood by the wall and watched. Eventually one of the boys from his class – the one called Neil – came over.
“Do you want to play?” he asked.
“Don’t know,” said Joe suspiciously. Neil was the one who had said he had been scared on his first day. Joe remembered how the girls had giggled. You had to be so careful. “What are you playing?”
“Dog, Cat, Monkey,” he said.
“Cat, Mouse, what?” said Joe, frowning.
“Didn’t they play Dog, Cat, Monkey at your old school?”
“No, they did not!” exclaimed Joe.
“What
did
they play then?” asked Neil.
“Loads of stuff,” said Joe. “Loads of
really
cool stuff.”
“Like what?”
“Like … like … er … like …” began Joe, but the truth of it was that he could not remember a single game from his old school. Neil smiled and walked off. Joe muttered to himself and was still muttering when he realized there was someone standing next to him. It was Billy – the other new boy.
“Hi,” said Billy.
“Hi,” said Joe.
“What a dump,” said Billy.
“Yeah,” said Joe. “They tried to get you to play Dog, Mouse, Turkey yet?”
“You mean Dog, Cat, Monkey?” said Billy. “No. I love that game, don’t you?” Joe muttered
“Miss, miss, I saw a fire engine on the way to school today, miss. I reckon there must have been a fire somewhere ’cos it had its lights on and everything,” he said excitedly.
“Did it, Thomas?” she said with a smile. “Well, I’m sure that was very exciting, but can anyone remember their first day at school?”
The boy who had been staring at Joe put his hand up.
“Neil,” said Miss Parker. “What can you remember?”
“It was scary, miss,” he said. “And I didn’t know anybody.” A couple of the girls giggled and the boy called Neil went a little red in the face.
“That’s enough, Molly ,” said Miss Parker, frowning at the most giggly of the girls. “It was scary. Yes, Neil. Starting school can be very scary, can’t it? And not knowing anybody can be a bit frightening too.” Everyone nodded.
“Well, then,” she went on, “I want you all to close your eyes and have a little think about what it might be like if today was your first day at school and you didn’t know anyone.”
Everyone closed their eyes. Joe wasn’t sure if he was meant to close
his
eyes. This
was
his first day, so he didn’t have to imagine it. A boy with curly hair picked his nose.
“OK,” said Miss Parker. “Now I want you all to hold onto that thought of what it feels like to start a new school, because as you may already have noticed we have two new children in the class today …”
Two? thought Joe, and he looked around trying to guess who the other new boy or girl was.
“So let’s give our new classmates a big welcome,” said Miss Parker, “and make them feel at home. Joe” – she beckoned him towards her – “and you, Billy. Up you come and let everyone see you. Come on now. No one’s going to eat you.”
Joe felt his ears going red again as he got to his feet and walked over to stand next to Miss Parker. The boy called Billy had been sitting right at the back and took a little longer to get there. He was about Joe’s height, but skinnier with a mop of blond hair. He looked miserable.
The morning passed quicker than Joe had expected and all of a sudden it was playtime. Not knowing anyone in his class did not seem to matter when they were listening to a story or drawing a picture, but now, as he looked out on a playground full of children, Joe’s heart sank once more.
He scanned the playground. He had to find the cool kids. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally end up making friends with the losers. These first few minutes might decide who he was going to play with for the next few years.
The children were all rushing about in groups, intent on whatever game they were playing. Joe just stood by the wall and watched. Eventually one of the boys from his class – the one called Neil – came over.
“Do you want to play?” he asked.
“Don’t know,” said Joe suspiciously. Neil was the one who had said he had been scared on his first day. Joe remembered how the girls had giggled. You had to be so careful. “What are you playing?”
“Dog, Cat, Monkey,” he said.
“Cat, Mouse, what?” said Joe, frowning.
“Didn’t they play Dog, Cat, Monkey at your old school?”
“No, they did not!” exclaimed Joe.
“What
did
they play then?” asked Neil.
“Loads of stuff,” said Joe. “Loads of
really
cool stuff.”
“Like what?”
“Like … like … er … like …” began Joe, but the truth of it was that he could not remember a single game from his old school. Neil smiled and walked off. Joe muttered to himself and was still muttering when he realized there was someone standing next to him. It was Billy – the other new boy.
“Hi,” said Billy.
“Hi,” said Joe.
“What a dump,” said Billy.
“Yeah,” said Joe. “They tried to get you to play Dog, Mouse, Turkey yet?”
“You mean Dog, Cat, Monkey?” said Billy. “No. I love that game, don’t you?” Joe muttered
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