There's a spring in their step

Dubai: As he looked around, the world seemed rather tall. Three-year-old Rayan Bagheri was excited. The first day at school promised to be quite an adventure.

His day started early. When Rayan's mother, Penny Rai, went to his room to get him ready, he was already dressed in his uniform, ready to go to school.

"I am happy to go to school and meet [my] friends. I am also excited about wearing my uniform," Rayan told Gulf News as he prepared to start his first day of pre-kindergarten at Dubai American Academy (DAA).

Fear had no place in his mind as he looked at all the faces around. It was going to be "fun", or so he thought. Perhaps it helped that his mother had made it a point to talk to her son several times before the first day of the academic year as a way of familiarisation.

Having older brother Roshan in the same school also made it easier.

"I like having my brother at school. It makes me feel more comfortable," Rayan said. He knew what was expected of him on his first day. Penny said: "At one point he told me to calm down when I wanted to brief him about going to school." His only complaint was about his messy lunch box.

Seven-year-old Indian twins Jai and Jui Deshpande are more focused on their "friends".

The two are mirror images of each other, but their expectations from the first day of their new academic year could not be more different.

Pupils of the second grade in Our Own English High School, Sharjah, Jui was raring to get back into the daily grind and learn new things, while Jai had other ambitions. "I love arts and craft class," she said.

However, both girls agreed that making new friends and meeting old ones were major reasons behind the back-to-school excitement.

Mixed feelings

According to their mother, Vrushali, the children have mixed feelings about the coming year. She said: "Since they are in a new grade, they have a new teacher and will need to get used to her style of teaching."

Vrushali added: "It is just a matter of time, but they are already very excited and are looking forward to regular classes."

The same goes for Kaelan and Elouise Cross, Australians who are going to school for the first time in the UAE. While Elouise will enter kindergarten, her six-year-old brother is joining grade one at the Victoria International School of Sharjah.

They have been in the UAE for just over two weeks, so the first day at school is a bit intimidating.

The transition to a new school and friends is not difficult if the environment is supportive, according to their father Brendan.

He said: "I think school is going to help them channel their personalities and give them focus."

Perhaps he is right. Kaelan told Gulf News: "I already have a friend."

'I kept getting lost'

Dubai: It is not just the very young who are wary of the first day. Ritika Suri, a grade-10 pupil, is starting this academic year at a new school.

Suri, from India, transferred to the Dubai American Academy (DAA) this year.

Being in a new environment is a little tough, according to Suri. The atmosphere and the environment are very different from what she was used to.

She said: "My old school was smaller, so it was easier to form relationships with other people."

"During my first day, I met so many people, mainly because I kept getting lost," she said.

This is due to the new system where she has to move to a different class for each course. Suri said: "This is good because it is an easy way to make friends."

- Staff Report