On the first day of school, excitement overtakes the children, their parents and the teaching staff. My household has not escaped him, this 1^ah September.

For the first time, each of my four children goes to a different school. The day before we did an inventory to make sure everything was ready for each of them.

In particular, we did the last minute shopping for lunch boxes, clothes and supplies. We also reviewed the changes to the school transportation system.

I was delighted to discover the very user-friendly EZ Parent system now used by the Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord.

I easily found the information we needed there and my kids relied on it the next day. They left the house without any problems and it was the same when they came back.

I wanted to hear their impressions. I asked each of them the same questions: How was your day?, Do you have any papers I can sign?

I could read the joy in her eyes at seeing friends and teachers again. Everyone seemed happy to reconnect with learning.

However, a surprise awaited me as I lay in bed, enjoying this beautiful first day of classes and resting my body for the next day.

One of my sons suddenly became ill. He needed medical help. We had to call the 811 health hotline and go to the emergency room at the neighborhood hospital.

The night was short for all of us and I feared an absence on the second day of school.

However, the excitement of going back to school seemed stronger than the temptation to catch up on lost hours of sleep. In the morning everyone got back on the school bus.

I got the impression that despite the sacrifices involved and the habit of sleeping in during the recently ended vacation, the school’s appeal remains.

I hope this bodes well for a seemingly normal school year.