Drown

II: Stephen-Paul's First Day

Monday 3rd September 1928
Ajax, Toronto, Canada
NARRATOR'S POV

Today, six year old Stephen will be starting Grade 1 at elementary school, which is called Lincoln Alexander. He is excited about starting big school but I think he's worried that he won't see Deryck and I for about seven hours, since school starts at half eight in the morning and doesn't finish until half three in the afternoon. I think he is more concerned about not seeing his Uncle Jay since it's his birthday today (he's turned 37), we've assured him that he can see Uncle Jay when he comes home from school and I suggested that he could make him a card which will at least keep him occupied whilst learning new and exciting topics at school, and I'm sure his card will be greatly appreciated when he shows Jay later on in the day. The next seven hours was quite productive, Deryck writing new tracks and music to go along with them and I keeping myself busy by pottering around the house, seeing what needs done until the hours of silence that we've been given for the first time in the last six years is interrupted by a rambunctious and noisy six year old. Seven hours flew in far quicker than I anticipated, now it's time to pick Stephen up from school and hear about his first day at elementary. As I had suggested earlier, he did in fact make a little birthday card for his Uncle Jay which was the first thing he showed Deryck and I after running out of school all excited and then began to tell us what he got up to for the rest of the day at school, which was interesting to hear and it was quite nice to see how engaged he was in talking about how he was quite shy at first like all of the kids who felt just the same, and then went on to say how he started to feel more comfortable with the other children and his teacher as the day went on. Let's just hope he enjoys the next four days and the many months of Grade 1, until next September when he goes into Grade 2 when he's seven next year.

THURSDAY 5th SEPTEMBER 1929

Stephen is now seven years old and he started Grade 2 on Monday, he's getting quite good at writing his own name, spelling, maths, and reading which is amazing because you only want your child to do the best that they can, don't you? In the last year or so since he started Lincoln Alexander, he has made quite a few friends which is great because we would want him to have friends rather than be outcasted and not have any friends at all, which is sad to think about because you don't want your child to be a loner which would make them targets for bullies. In terms of his handwriting, it is still rather messy but what do you expect from a seven year old? He is trying to write his name in cursive form and is getting quite good at it. So, he has another four years before he finishes elementary school and then goes onto junior high, which will be Grade 7 by which time he will be 12 in 1934.