For Harrison Tolar, 5, of Pitt Town, starting ‘‘big school’’ couldn’t come soon enough.
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Harrison, 5, joined the 49 kindy kids starting at Arndell Anglican College in Oakville yesterday.
The school had only students from prep, kindergarten and Years 7, 11 and 12 start on Tuesday, while the others return today.
Harrison was one of 25 boys and 24 girls starting kindergarten across two classes.
Prep had 37 children start.
His mum Heloise said Harrison had been asking all through the school holidays when could he go back to school.
Harrison has been in prep at the college for two years.
‘‘We started Harrison at age three [in prep], giving us the choice of whether to hold him back another year before starting kindy, or send him if he was ready,’’ Mrs Tolar said.
‘‘By the end of the first year we knew that another year at prep would do him good.
‘‘It was the best decision we ever made; the change in him — socially and emotionally — in that second year, was
phenomenal.
‘‘Now he is more than ready for ‘big school’.’’
But Mrs Tolar said that while Harrison loved school and was merely ‘‘crossing the playground’’, they wanted to prepare him for unexpected changes.
‘‘The transition was probably a little bit smoother than other kids starting fresh at the school,’’ she said.
‘‘He made solid friendships in prep and knows the teachers and school environment.
‘‘But we had to ensure we prepared him for the changes he knew about, but wasn’t thinking about: new teacher, new uniform, new friends — a new daily routine.’’
Harrison described his first day as ‘‘good’’ and said he was looking forward to going back today.
He said he was very happy with his teacher, Mrs Finn, but sad he wasn’t in the same class as his close friends.
‘‘But I can play with them in the playground,’’ he said.
‘‘Mummy said I’ll make lots of new friends.
‘‘I want to learn to read, so I can read my Disney books.’’
There was a ‘tea, tissues and Tim Tams’ morning tea for the mums and dads in the library after the drop-off.
Mrs Tolar said she and her husband Martin didn’t cope so well.
‘‘I think we took it for granted that given we were sending him to the same school and with lots of people he knew, it would be easier,’’ she said.
‘‘He was oblivious, but it hit us both quite hard; there were a few tears.
‘‘Our little boy has grown up!’’