A New Beginning By Daniel Rotenstein

After the crazy and energetic time at camp, I couldn’t believe that the second week could be any better; however, I was soon to discover exactly the opposite. When I arrived on the second Monday of school, the new building was practically calling out my name, secretly whispering to me that it wanted me to have fun lessons inside of it. This was a secret the new building and I shared. It gave me a strong sense of security. I knew from this secret, that I wouldn’t be having any boring or lame lessons anytime soon.

Before Roll Call we were all herded into the gym like a pack of confused sheep. Mr Johnson, our Year Coordinator, was there to make us feel at ease as he casually handed out our complicated new timetables. I could tell from Mr Johnson’s confident voice that he was English and that therefore he was going to be kind, because of course, all English people are kind. D&T, Digital Media and Geography – these were all subjects I had never experienced but that I saw I was going to take, as they jumped out at me from my timetable. I wasn’t particularly keen about Geography like I was for D&T, because Geography is just boring classroom work. But I loved the idea of finally getting to do a subject that had real hands-on experience. D&T was going to rock my world! And this made me feel like an independent adult for the first time in my school life.

The best thing, apart from meeting new friends and seeing old friends again, was being told that we had the chance to be young leaders. I suddenly realised for the first time in my life, that me, Daniel Rotenstein, had the chance to become a young leader, a leader who could stand out in the crowd, a leader who could be a role model, a leader who could be a captain of pilots! A select group of Year 7s were going to get a shot of real leadership by representing the whole of Year 7 as the Year 7 Reps! This opportunity could allow me, I thought, to be the person I always dreamed I could be. This was a golden opportunity and I certainly wasn’t going to knock a gift horse in the mouth.

Over the next week I was more and more wanting that leadership role. Not knowing if and when I was going to get it, was bugging me, consuming my mind like locusts to a wheat field. The day that we were going to be told who were going to be the first Reps finally came. As I was on Recess, we were all handed out forms. As mine was handed to me by Mr Johnson, he congratulated me. I asked ‘what for’? He replied, ‘for being the first Rep of Year 7’. At that moment, I  felt that this was definitely going to be a great year (except for the homework).

The end.