## First day at school (1)

In this section, you are going to read about Katy and her experiences starting secondary school. Before you start reading, do the following:

1. Discuss with your classmates:
   Were you afraid (=bang, bezorgd) of going to secondary school?
   If so, what were you afraid of? Or, why were you not afraid?
2. Look up on the internet:
   When does secondary school start in England?

Now, to prepare you for the reading exercise, match the following words from the text to their definition. Write words you find difficult to remember down in your notebook.

Now read the story about Katy's experiences starting secondary school and answer the questions below.

My experiences starting secondary school
The new school term has begun and lots of you have gone to secondary school for the first time. In her report Press Packer Katy shares her experiences of starting secondary school and offers some useful advice.
"I started a new school a year ago and I can't believe how quickly the year went!
I wasn't that nervous on my first day, I was really looking forward to it. I knew a bit about what to expect because I had an older sister at the same school.
It will be fine!
For anyone who's starting a new school, don't worry. The stories that you hear aren't usually true - I don't know anyone who's been bog-washed!
I've met lots of new people and made loads of new friends since I started.
I thought the work would suddenly get really hard but it was just like primary school really. I also thought that I'd be flooded with homework but the amount I got in my first year was quite easy to handle.
Katy's tips
Here's my advice for anyone who's worried about going to a new school:

- Relax and think about all the positives of moving to secondary school
- Don't be shy, introduce yourself to people!
- Be yourself, don't try to brag because people might think you're big-headed

Good luck!"
Katy, 13, Edinburgh
bron: CBBC Newsround