First Day of School: Share Your Memories!

By Stefanie Neyland

Take a trip down memory lane by sharing your first day of school story in our second annual story-sharing contest

 

I remember my very first day of school like it was yesterday. It was a bright, sunny day with just a hint of fall in the air. I had all the ‘right’ school gear: a fancy pair of patent buckled shoes, a perfectly-pressed dress, a nice new backpack. It was all going so well—that was, until my parents left me at the school gates.

 

WHERE ARE THEY GOING AND WHY AREN’T THEY TAKING ME WITH THEM?

 

“They’ve definitely forgotten me”, I thought to myself, “this must be some kind of horrible mistake.”

 

It wasn’t.

 

Six hours later, and I was still there, locked up at the prepubescent penitentiary. Until I saw him.

 

There was my dad, stood back in the very same spot where he and my mom had left me at 9 o’clock that fateful morning.

 You would think that a tearful reunion ensued, but you’d be wrong. Did I want to go back home again? No way—I’d just had the most fun day of my life.

 

I’d made tons of new friends, learned some cool new things and got to create a phenomenal finger-painted masterpiece. School was the best thing ever, and I couldn’t wait to go back the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that.

 

Just ask anyone, and they’ll each have their own story to tell—a quick group email sent to my colleagues even yielded some entertaining responses. This was one of my personal favourites (in which the pantless-perpetrator shall remain nameless):

 

“On my first day of school, I pulled my pants down during the national anthem. It was like: ‘Ohhh…Caaaanaaa *drops pants* daaaaaa’.

 

Quite embarrassing. Wouldn’t change a thing.”

 

Another colleague—let’s call her ‘Chloe’—shared an account of her first day of high school:

 

“It was my first day of high school, and before I started, I’d planned out an entire wardrobe for each day of my first week.

Not wanting to deviate from my carefully constructed schedule, I got dressed for my first day by slipping on a wooly navy blue sweater with cream and grey stripes—which would have been fine had it not been 28°c that day, and had the sweater not been just washed and still more than a little damp.

I walked to school that day feeling hot and uncomfortable wearing a wet sweater —so not a good look.”

 

Many more tales were told—some funny, some heartwarming and some not-so-fondly remembered—and it’s a good job too, since today is the first day of our second annual  ‘Share Your First Day of School Story’ contest, which lets fans share their #GoingBack stories through social media.

Contestants will be able to submit their stories in video, picture or essay format, or use emerging platforms such as Vine and Instagram to share their childhood tales.

The contest will award one winner in each of the following categories: Best Video Entry, Best Picture Entry and Best Written Entry, and will be judged by a panel of popular Canadian mommy bloggers: Katie Allen of Little Miss Kate, Tenille Lafontaine of Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous, Lena Almeida of Listen to Lena and Meri Temudo of lil sugar.

 

‘So how do I send in my story?’ I hear you ask.

 

Sharing is easy—customers, fans and friends can simply visit the Staples Canada Facebook page to submit their picture or essay, or send us a YouTube video to enter via video response.

 

The lucky winners will be announced the week of September 16th, so what are you waiting for?

 

Share your story with the nation for your chance to win one of three great Canon Rebel T3i prize packs—and don’t forget to follow the back-to-school conversation with #GoingBack.