School's In for Autumn

I know the real title of the song is "School's out for Summer" and that would be a much snappier title but it would be factually incorrect.

Here in NRW the summer holidays are over, it's back to the grind, getting up early, fighting over homework and all that guff. The fun never ends.

In Germany when the children start school for the very first time (aged six usually) it is a BIG deal, the whole extended family often comes along, first to the church, then to the school for assembly (pretty much the one time in the school year this happens) and then to mill about eating cake and drinking coffee while the children spend maybe 90 minutes in class.

Each child will have gone to school with their huge, new (but empty) school bag on their back and clutching a child sized (and here I do mean it's the size of a child) cardboard cone packed full with goodies for school (anything from sweets and pencils and rulers through to a swimming hat or keyrings) this is the "Schultüte" and is an essential part of the first day.

At my daughter's school as the children are led by their teachers to their new classrooms the rest of the school forms a long arch for them to walk under, something I find very sweet (although I'm reliably informed that it makes your arms ache!)