Hello school!

By Rasha Almaqaleh

“By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With summer's best of weather

And autumn's best of cheer.”

When it comes to September, no one describes it better than the American poet Helen Hunt Jackson in her famous poem ‘September’!  But if Helen Jackson had lived in Germany, I am sure that she would have replaced the word ‘tokens’ with the word ‘cones’ for the reason that September in Germany is marked by the lovely ‘school cones’ which are carried by first graders in their first day of school!

I can imagine the German people I know hitting the ceiling right now after reading the previous paragraph and I can hear them shouting hysterically: “September?! But school in Germany doesn’t always start in September! Sometimes it starts in August!” Well, since I am in a mood for poetry, I will not give the ANNOYING ‘German accuracy’ a chance to ruin this special moment for me!

My son started primary school this week and he was one of the lovely tokens of September. When school begins in Germany, all first graders get a school cone “Schultüte” from their parents. This is an old tradition that is believed to have started in Germany in 1810. School cones are also called sugar cones “Zuckertüten” because they are filled with sweets. However, the cones today are not only filled with sweets but also with other gifts such as small toys, school materials, stuffed animals and some other small gifts.   

Starting school in Germany is considered a big step in a child’s life. Therefore, it is sugared with sugar cones and greatly celebrated at school and also at home. On this special day, first graders are celebrated in school with a nice ceremony called Enrollment celebration “Einschulungsfeier”.  

Since kindergarten in Germany is not part of the regular education system, school is the first place where children start learning to read and write. This could be the reason behind this great festive beginning which marks a major milestone in a child's life. You can find more about kindergarten in Germany and how kindergartners normally spend their day in this post Goodbye kindergarten!.

My husband and I started preparing a school cone for our son during the summer holidays. We bought a big one and each time we would put something in it until it got full by the end of the summer. During that time, we had to hide the cone from our son’s curious eyes to keep it a surprise until his first day of school. In addition to the school cone, we had to shop for the essential school gear, most importantly the school bag, "Schulranzen"! Interestingly, German school backpacks have a square design! The theory behind this design is to keep the school supplies especially books and notebooks from getting crumpled. These school bags are relatively expensive but the good news is that they come with a number of items such as a pencil case and a sack. 

The big day has finally arrived! My son woke up very early out of excitement and his first question was: “Where is my school cone?” When he saw it, he got really happy and started imagining what could be inside.

Wearing his new clothes, carrying his new school bag and holding joyfully his school cone, we headed together to his school around half past ten as the enrollment ceremony was to start at 11. When we arrived, the school yard was already full of kids with colorful school cones, parents, grandparents, family members, and friends who came to celebrate this special day of the first grader in the family. We noticed that some guests dressed really well as they were attending a wedding ceremony!

We waited in a long line to enter the sports hall where the enrollment celebration was held. When we walked into the building, a teacher asked about our son’s name. He proudly answered, then she searched for his name on the board behind her where cute name tags of all the first graders were hung. She picked his name tag and pinned it to his jacket. He looked at his name tag, smiled and felt prouder and happier!

 When we entered the hall, we saw that it was already overcrowded with first graders and their loved ones. The hall was equipped with chairs and a stage for the event. My son’s class teacher showed him his seat but we, as many other parents, had to remain standing because all seats were already full. 

The headmistress kicked off the event with a welcome speech, telling the first graders that the fourth graders prepared something nice for them on this special day. Then, the fourth graders sang a lovely song “You come to school”. The song was followed by a lovely musical performance of the classic children’s book “The very hungry caterpillar”. I really liked that the eldest pupils in the school perform something for the youngest ones! That was really sweet!

After that, it was time to take the first graders to their classrooms. This was done in a ceremonial way, too! There are four first-grade classes in my son’s school: 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d, and there is a class teacher for each one. So, every class teacher stood on stage and called for her pupils, name by name. Each child, once heard their names, he or she went to stage, shook hands with the class teacher, and waited until all the names of the group were called. Then, the class teacher took her pupils with her to their new classroom. It was really so sweet watching those young children shaking hands with their future teachers and waiting quietly on the stage! It was such an emotional moment that made me feel that my baby has grown up to a child! 

In the classroom, they spent an hour or so getting to know their new environment,their teacher, and classmates. It was really thoughtful to give the first graders a chance to ease into their new world! Meanwhile, parents and all the guests waited in the multi-purpose room where the school booster club prepared coffee, cakes and snacks for the waiting parents.

Around one O’clock, the parents were allowed to go to the classrooms to pick up their kids. I liked the classroom so much! It is spacious and flooded with light. My son was proud showing us around. We wanted to stay longer and take more pictures but my son was so excited to go home to FINALLY open his school cone!

Obviously, starting school marks a new phase in any child’s life and in their parents', too. In Germany, this new phase is sweetened, celebrated and made unforgettable. The memory of this special day will always bring joy and delight. In many places around the world, including where I come from (Yemen), the first day of school is not made memorable at all. I had always been sad that my first day of school wasn't a special day and I think many people around the world share the same feeling. Thanks to Germany, my son will never forget his! Just as Helen Hunt Jackson said:

'T is a thing which I remember;

To name it thrills me yet:

One day of one September

I never can forget.