Back to school: Whangārei boy excited for first day at school

The school bus driving past Micah's front gate has been making him excited to start school.

His mum Angela Boyte said it will be like a little adventure for him when he starts catching it - and that may not be too far away.

The 5-year-old will start his first day at Maungatapere School soon.

"I feel good and strong," Micah said.

"I'm excited to be doing some listening and being quiet. I'm excited to do some swimming - but no diving in the pool because I'm too scared for diving in the pool."

Boyte said there are a few little things making Micah feel excited about starting school - one of them is the fact the school bus drives past the family's gate.

"It's like a little adventure that he's going to be catching the bus, although we'll probably do that when he's feeling a bit more settled. We've talked about school a lot so he's got all these imaginations of what it's going to be like."

Boyte, however, said she had mixed feelings about her first child going off to school.

"I know he's ready for school so I feel good that he's going to keep growing and learning. But also a little bit apprehensive - it's another whole world out there that is different from our world and that's going to be part of his own world."

Like many youngsters his age, Whangārei five-year-old Micah Boyte is excited about starting school. Photo / Michael Cunningham.

Micah was due to start school on February 7 but he will be starting a couple of weeks later as he is getting his tonsils removed on February 8.

Last year Micah spent half a day at Maungatapere School during a visit with about seven other children who are starting this year.

Boyte said one of the boys who will be in Micah's class - Makani - had gone to daycare with him and had taken Micah under his wing.

"He really liked it and he wanted to go back the next day. I said 'no we have to wait until next year and then you can.'"

To mark the milestone, Boyte said the family held a 'going to school' party for Micah on Saturday.

"It is a huge milestone going to school because all the other mums that you meet up with, with kids - like coffee groups and kids groups - once they go to school they lose that.

"So I really wanted to get all the mums we get coffee and go to the park with, to get together. It's a special time he's going to be changing his direction a little bit now and not be part of our play group," she said.