With the summer holidays coming to an end and schools across Goa reopening on June 6, children, parents, teachers and shopkeepers gear up for the return of early mornings, new uniforms and the familiar routine of the academic year
Children and parents prepare for the new academic year by purchasing uniforms and other essential school supplies. Pic Narayan Pissurlenkar
Brown covering paper pieces are scattered across the floor. While June marks the beginning of monsoons, for most children and parents, it also marks the return to school. Shiny new bags and uniforms await the first day of school. Raincoats and umbrellas must be brought, and waterproof footwear takes centre stage. After a whole month of playing in the sun, gorging on ice-creams and lazing around the house, summer holidays have ultimately come to an end.
Back-to-school essentials
Shops stock up on the back-to-school essentials. Colourful school bags line up the store along with umbrellas with the faces of various cartoon characters. For children, it is about getting to finally meet their friends, learn new things and meet their new teachers. For the parents, it is about getting a moment of calm after the month of boisterous games, activities and enjoyment.
New beginnings
“It is 50-50for me,” mentions Priyansh Prasad Sawant Dessai, who shall be going to 5th standard. “I am delighted about starting the first day and doing masti at school, but I do not like the part about studies,” he adds. For Asmi Kulkarni, who will be starting 4th standard, the excitement outweighs everything else. “I am looking forward to meeting all my teachers and friends again and playing with them. What I do not like is that our classes are going to be shuffled,” she says. Arnav Dessai, who will also be entering 4th standard, admits that preparations have not quite begun. “I enjoyed my summer holidays a lot. But I have not started getting anything ready yet. I will be doing that as soon as I go back home,” he remarks.
Back to the routine
While students count down the days, parents are busy preparing for the return to routine. Alarm clocks are set earlier, lunch boxes come out of storage and uniforms are checked one last time before the first day. “Getting ready for his first school includes seeing that his uniform still fits him, collecting notebooks and textbooks from his school, planning what to give him for the tiffin and getting the required ingredients ready… this is how I prepare for the school’s reopening,” mentions Manaswi Dessai, Arnav’s mother.
Stationery shopping
The season is equally important for shopkeepers. Stationery stores, uniform outlets and footwear shops witness one of their busiest periods of the year as families rush to complete their shopping. Savio Gomes, who runs a stationery shop, says children often arrive with very specific preferences. “Most children want their bags and compass boxes to feature their favourite cartoon character or superhero. I try to make sure we have all the popular options available so that they can find what they are looking for. Many families come with long lists, and our back-to-school discount sale is also popular among customers,” he says.
The days leading up to reopening often bring a flurry of activity across markets and school supply stores. While families prepare at home and shopkeepers cater to the rush of the last-minute shoppers, teachers, too, are busy getting their classrooms and lesson plans ready for the academic year ahead.
Classroom energy
“Honestly, the best part of school reopening is getting back into the classroom and seeing the students' energy. You really miss those curious eyes and face-to-face interactions during the break,” says Pratika Bandekar, an English teacher for Classes 6 to 10. Her preparation for the upcoming academic year includes updating the way of teaching with some fresh, interactive activities. “It can get hectic getting everything ready on time, but all the chaos is worth it when children walk through the door,” she adds.
A year full of experiences
Thus, schools across Goa prepare to begin again; the final days of the vacation are reserved for getting everything ready. Uniforms are ironed; textbooks are covered, and school bags are packed while classrooms await the return of their students. Although there is a hint of sadness as the summer holidays draw to a close, the new academic year also brings new opportunities, friendships and experiences. Soon, the classrooms that remained silent during summer vacations will be filled once more with the sound of turning pages, ringing of the lecture bells and eager young voices sharing stories of their summer holidays, while being excited to begin the new academic year.
