Back to School英语作文
Back to School
BY ALISON RAMSEY
When I flip back through the photo albums to my daughter’s first day of kindergarten, I see an Incredible Hulk backpack half as tall as she is. Clutched to her chest, the bag bulges with markers, HB pencils, exercise books with fat lines, and a lunchbox containing the first in a long, long line of capicolli-on-whole-wheat sandwiches.
Above the gleaming silver sneakers, crisp chequered pants and spotlessly white long-sleeved shirt is a tense little face wearing a strained smile.
All ready to go and feeling just like me: completely unprepared.
You wouldn’t think it would be possible, but it happens every year. On paper at least, it’s easy to plan for the annual school re-entry. The first day of class is predetermined the previous June; flyers advertising duo-tangs for a dime apiece and three erasers for $1 fill the mailbox in early August; and increasingly shorter evenings are a daily reminder summer is coming to an end ? so how come I’m never ready?
The economics of a new school year vary greatly from one September to another. But back-to-school spending generally ranks second only to the wallet-thinning Christmastime spree, according to the Retail Council of Canada. A long list of school supplies is necessary to enter each new grade, along with fresh gym togs, an outfit or two, and ever-higher school fees. Then there are the inevitable variables: a foot growth spurt forces your hand on new shoes, and an eye exam dictates glasses.
I know that I’m lucky to have a shopping list that doesn’t yet include a computer or text books. For now, lunchtime monitor fees are startling enough. (When did Quebec successfully slough off its responsibility to supervise kids during school hours? What’s next: parents taking turns driving the school bus?)
The biggest ? and usually least successful ? effort in the last days of summer is trying to ratchet back bedtime. Experts agree it’s a human tendency: We prefer staying up late to going to bed early. Especially the younger set, who love the illicit thrill of sharing in adult activities such as a fireworks show or a drive-in movie.
Unfortunately, understanding the phenomenon doesn’t help as I struggle to regain control over happily slipshod summer bedtime practices. Let’s see…my daughter’s natural summer wakeup is around 8, the bus comes at 7: 30, so that means I have to tug back bedtime by five minutes each day starting August 4. Yeah…right.
Hours of shopping, labelling everything from clothes to 24 coloured pencils, and stocking the pantry with peanut-free snacks ? nothing’s enough to guarantee a smooth start. Waking up to the first day of school is an unhappy occasion, although parents everywhere collude to pretend it’s wonderful.
The sad fact is that sweet summer’s over, even though it isn’t yet Labour Day.
My smallish sand-caked companion is gone. No more lazy, hot days building bridges of shared experiences: discussing whether the campsite spider thinks it’s invisible perched on its favourite spot ? the SunMaid raisin box — watching bees nuzzle the sweet peas, cycling further along the bike path than ever before.
Now on her way into Grade 4, my daughter is canny enough to know that the delightfully relaxed first day of school bears no resemblance to what the rest of the year will bring. Unprepared? Yes. But if the alternative is spending time thinking about short, cold days punctuated with homework ? then unprepared is exactly what we want to be.
-
实用的我的妈妈叙事作文集合六篇
在日常学习、工作和生活中,大家都经常接触到作文吧,作文可分为小学作文、中学作文、大学作文(论文)。相信很多朋友都对写作文感到非常苦恼吧,以下是小编为大家整理的我的妈妈叙事作文6篇,欢迎大家借鉴与参考,希望对大家有所帮助。我的妈妈叙事作文篇1母爱是伟大的爱,母...
-
抹不去的思念作文合集九篇
在平凡的学习、工作、生活中,大家都有写作文的经历,对作文很是熟悉吧,作文是人们把记忆中所存储的有关知识、经验和思想用书面形式表达出来的记叙方式。那么,怎么去写作文呢?以下是小编帮大家整理的抹不去的思念作文9篇,仅供参考,大家一起来看看吧。抹不去的思念作文...
-
(精品)请为我竖起大拇指作文
在现实生活或工作学习中,大家或多或少都会接触过作文吧,写作文可以锻炼我们的独处习惯,让自己的心静下来,思考自己未来的方向。相信很多朋友都对写作文感到非常苦恼吧,以下是小编收集整理的请为我竖起大拇指作文,希望能够帮助到大家。请为我竖起大拇指作文1要说写字,...
-
实用的以电视为题作文3篇
在我们平凡的日常里,许多人都写过作文吧,作文要求篇章结构完整,一定要避免无结尾作文的出现。一篇什么样的作文才能称之为优秀作文呢?下面是小编整理的以电视为题作文3篇,仅供参考,欢迎大家阅读。以电视为题作文篇1我爱电视,就像牛郎爱着织女一样。每年七夕,喜鹊会为牛...