Memoir: Mrs. Macrae (1)

In October of 1974 I sat down for exactly one day in a grade 5 class at Gateway Public School in Toronto. I had arrived the
previous month, September 14th to be exact, from my birthplace - Tanzania.
I was stunned and confused. I sat in a class with no friends, a teacher who was too busy to be the welcoming presence I needed and the dreaded acronym BODMAS on the chalkboard. That night I returned home and explained to my father that I had no idea what was being taught in that class. And although that was half the problem, the other half was the result of a class full of students that left little time for individual attention.
The next day my father and I went to the main office. I stood around and then sat by my dad quietly while he explained the situation to the administrative staff. That same day - I wish I could recall the date - I landed, gently, in your classroom.