TORONTO - Nine-year-old Adam Bercovici likes to sum up the first day of school with four words: “It’s back to prison,” he said, grinning. He spent the last week of summer playing Fortnite and reveled in being able to sleep until noon if he wanted. He says the pre-dawn alarm on his first day back-to-school did not go over well. “I didn’t want to wake up.” Adam is one of four school-aged kids in the Bercovici home, north of Toronto, who had to be hustled out of the door just after 8 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Chen Bercovici was up two hours before that to help her kids get ready for the big day. “It’s always busy with four kids,” she said. “Usually it’s very chaotic here.” The mother prepped as much as she could the day before, however there were still four lunches to finish packing, and waffles to serve for breakfast. Dad was slicing apples for snacks while mom zipped up the lunch bags. Chen says the first day back is always an adjustment. “It’s been two months doing whatever they wanted,” she noted. Adam, who is beginning Grade 5, confirms this. He says he dislikes most things about school and felt “very bad” about summer coming to an end. “The only thing I like is maybe recess and gym,” he said from the kitchen table. Given the choice, he’d rather play on his tablet and “be lazy.” Upstairs, 14-year-old Emma was applying makeup for her first-ever day of high school. She says she feels good about going into Grade 9, but admits she’s also nervous and a bit scared. “A lot of my friends are not in my class, so I need to put my best step forward today just so I could get to know people,” she said. “It’s nerve-wracking. I hope I can make new friends today.” She’s also mourning her freedom. “I’m sad because I had so much free will, and now I have less,” she said. “I only have weekends.” Leanne, 12, is going into Grade 7 and is both excited and nervous. She’ll miss – as she puts it – lying in bed all day during the summer talking to friends. “I just feel like there’s going to be a lot of homework and a lot of stuff this week that I have to do, and that’s really stressful,” she said, adding that she’s also looking forward to “learning new stuff.” Lorraine, 5, proudly showed off a new blue and purple backpack. Asked about the summer coming to an end, she offered a thumbs down, parroting her brother. Leanne had this advice for her little sister: “Try making new friends. And don’t be as crazy.” Adam has no Grade 1 tips to offer. He can’t remember that far back. “That was three years ago,” he said – a third of his lifetime. Just before everyone headed off to school, Chen assembled her kids in front of their home for a group shot. A content creator, she posts it to the family’s Instagram account every year, a tradition since 2021. Each child holds a sign with their age, grade and ambitions written on it. Adam’s sign says he plans to be a professional soccer player and a “zillionaire.” “They’re all so grown. I can’t believe I have teenagers,” said mom. “One of them is even taller than me. It’s bittersweet, because I want to have them still as my babies.” Then it was off with mom and dad for drop-offs at three different schools. After that was done, mom seemed a bit relieved. “I was scared to have crying today, but there was zero crying,” Chen said. “Everyone is at their classes. I’m very happy. It was successful.” “We had two months of a full house. This is my cue to relax a bit.”
