Willowfield Lower School

 

School is never an easy ride for anybody. Everyone at one time or another experiences some kind of bullying, being shouted at by a teacher or doing something so embarrassing it could result in your future nickname. You make friends, lose friends, you play hide and seek and kiss chase. Not Me.

I started school in September 1992. I was five years old when I became a pupil at Willowfield Lower. I remember getting ready that day. I had my new school shoes and I had long white patterned socks that were pulled up to my knees. I had my grey-fanned skirt, a white shirt and my dark green Willowfield cardigan and my brown hair was cut to my chin. I felt very grown up and actually very excited, my parents had talked about school like it was a magical wonderland, where kids of my age run around, play games and have fun. They told me that once you make friends you get to go to parties and wear lovely dresses. You get to take part in plays and join clubs were you could win certificates. I was very very excited at the thought of a certificate, proof of a great achievement, my great achievement. Little did I know that I would have to wait until my last year, Year Four to get my certificate. (I didn’t really deserve it either). Mum asked me to stand in front of the kitchen cupboards so she could take a picture of my first day; she did this every year consecutively until I was sixteen. After the photograph was taken, I picked up my green Willowfield bag with one hand and clutched my Mum’s hand firmly with the other. We stepped out of our house for my very first walk to school.

It took approximately two minutes, probably less to get there. We lived incredibly close. In fact I was the one who lived the closest. Cross the road, turn right, turn left and you hit the school gates. As I lived a few steps from school you would think that I would always be on time everyday. What ridiculous thinking. I was late nearly everyday without fail.

In the four years that I was at Willowfield I had hardly any friends, joined clubs that didn’t work for me and I got stuck in situations that made me very uncomfortable and embarrassed. I was a fantastic daydreamer and I floated around in my own little bubble most of the time. I want to take you with me as I reminisce and re-experience my life as a pretty odd kid.