Back-to-school

Maya makes a new friend at school: Latisha.

Friday had finally arrived, and Maya could feel the difference the moment she opened her eyes that morning. There was something special about Fridays at school. The week felt lighter, everyone seemed a little more cheerful, and even the teachers occasionally smiled when they announced, “Have a wonderful weekend!” Maya walked through the school gates with her backpack hanging over one shoulder, excited to see her best friend, Latisha. Just a few weeks ago, she had walked into her new…

New Week, New Chapter: Maya’s First Monday in a Brand-New School Year..

The school bell rang, and for some reason, Maya felt like it sounded louder than it ever had before. She stood just inside the school entrance with one hand wrapped around the strap of her backpack, watching students move past her in every direction. New uniforms. New faces. New voices. New classrooms. New teachers calling out names. The familiar building somehow felt unfamiliar. It was the first Monday of a brand-new academic year, and although Maya had spent the weekend getting her things ready, laying out her clothes and convincing herself that she was excited, standing there in the middle of the hallway made everything feel real…

“Have We Bought Everything?”: A Mother’s Saturday Before the New School Year

Saturday morning arrives differently when school resumption is only a few days away. The house is awake earlier than usual, not because anyone planned it that way, but because there is suddenly too much to do. In a Canadian home somewhere in Ontario, Maya’s mother is already standing in the kitchen with her phone in one hand and a shopping list in the other, mentally running through everything she needs before Monday. New notebooks. Pencils. Pens. A lunch bag. A…