151. First day of school

One the first day of September school starts in the Republic of Moldova.  I remember last year on September 1^st I was asked by my host mom if I was going to school.  I was confused as to why I would go to school, but since my language was limited I said ‘no’ and did not ask any questions.  Well after that day all of my friends were posting online photos and stories from the first day of school.  So I made sure to experience it this year.

At the school in my village, everyone was lined up around the courtyard by grade and in the front was where the teachers would address the students.  When they started the 12^th grade class walked with the 1^st grade class in a circle on the inside of circle of students and then they took their positions.  The director and a few teachers greeted the student body. 

Then a few students did a skit that showed an uneducated boy who wanted to ride his bike and trying to talk everyone into quitting school while the other student said why school is so important and all of the exciting things that would happen over the school year.

Then the 12^th graders said a few poems and the 1^st grades sang a song with an accordion player.

A few more addresses were made.  The director of the school signed a large poster which I think was something like, “We’ll have fun and respect each other…” type of agreement.  My host dad made a little address when he donated a few books to the school library about Moldova’s history.  Then two 12^th graders and two 1^st graders walked around the circle and then into the school ringing a bell.  The Moldovans do not call it the first day of school, they call it, ‘the first bell’.

I then walked into the school and watched the ceremony with the 1^st grade class.  All of the parents were in the back of the room and there were three 4^th graders who gave flowers to the new students and read a little paragraph about the student as a 12^th grader escorted the new student into the room and to his or her seat.

I was asked if we do anything like this in America by a teacher… I did not know what to say.  I just know that we did not do anything like this at my school, ha ha.