Thousands of children starting school in Helsinki region on Tuesday

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Thousands of first-graders are starting school today, Tuesday, in Espoo, Helsinki, and Vantaa.
      Many families have been busy preparing for the big day.
      In Espoo, Milla Miettinen was getting ready for her first day at the Seppo School with 300 other pupils.
      Traffic safety is always a major concern as schools begin. Milla will be walking to school, and she and her family have carefully studied the route of a few hundred metres. There is only one street to cross.
      Milla is looking forward to the new phase in her life.
      "The best thing in going to school is the classroom: it's fun to sit at the desk and draw and write."
     
Milla expects that she will cope well with sitting in class, because there is so much to look at in the classroom.
      "But writing in class might be a bit heavy. Then you have to rest during recess." However, she is not sure how much time she will have to relax during the breaks, because she wants to climb on the playground equipment with her classmates.
     
Nearly 3000 first-graders are starting school in Espoo this year. In Helsinki the number is estimated at 4,800 and in Vantaa it is about 2,250.
     
Parents and schools in Helsinki are asked to report safety problems and hazards on school routes to the Helsinki City Public Works Department. The telephone number is (09) 3103 9000.
      Drivers should be especially alert to the new arrivals on the streets and pedestrian crossings. In any event, this week is likely to bring substantial changes - in the form of increased congestion - on the roads in the capital region, as more and more people return to work after the summer holidays.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Education Minister opposes rescheduling of school summer holiday (7.8.2007)

Helsingin Sanomat