Share One Student's Back-to-School Preparations, Family Traditions

She chose her first-day-of-school outfit a couple of days ago and changed her mind at least twice. The going-into-fourth grader finally settled on a new pink short-sleeve hoodie, new jeans and new sneakers. She’s had her school bag packed for a while.

By 8 p.m. last night, she and her two brothers—one older, one younger—were in bed, anticipating the first day of school. She planned to read until 8:30,  “because I can’t go right to sleep.”

This morning, Autumn Masotta planned to wake up at 5 a.m., instead of sleeping in until 5:30, as she did during the summer.

Before school, according to her morning schedule, she takes the family’s energetic 2½-year-old golden retriever, Moxie, out for between 30 and 60 minutes of exercise. She and her two brothers—Myron, Jr., a sixth grader at the and Giovanni, a third grader at the —alternate between the breakfast table and the shower. The children take turns making lunch. Around 6:45 a.m., Autumn waits for her dad, Myron, “The Eagle,” to come home from his night job.  Someone keeps watch out the front window.

When he arrives, Autumn’s mother, Peggy said, they say, “The Eagle has landed.”

Then, when they see the bus coming, Autumn and Giovanni dash to the bus stop and ride the bus to the Linscott-Rumford Elementary School.

Parents with school-age children, how did you and your children prepare for the first day of school?

The Masottas allowed Woburn Patch into their home last evening to talk to Autumn about preparing for the big day.

Autumn said she's excited to get back to school. Fourth graders are given special projects, the “A” student explained, like a “state fair” assignment where each student researches a state and presents his or her findings; poetry-writing; and reading to younger students. Her favorite subjects are spelling and math. Her teacher this year is Miss W-H-I-T-N-E-Y, Autumn spelled.

Besides buying new clothes for school, Autumn said her family has another back-to-school tradition. They’ll “do something special” tomorrow night, the Friday after the first day of school: go out to eat, at Chuck E. Cheese, Autumn said, or the Rain Forest Café.

Autumn has wanted one thing—one thing, she emphasized—for the first day of school “every year.” A pair of heels.

“I want those,” she said simply. Dad put his foot down on that request.

“He says, ‘No,’” Autumn said, as dad nodded in support of the “no” from across the kitchen table.