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This is Jack. Today Jack is in an anxious mood. His teacher, Ms Walton, is going away for a whole term! Jack loves Ms Walton. She is a great teacher. He is very worried that the new teacher won’t be as nice as Ms Walton. Jack and Billie walk to school together. Billie skips along the footpath. Jack drags his feet. ‘I’m excited to meet our new teacher,’ says Billie. ‘Are you excited, Jack?’ ‘I guess so,’ says Jack. But he feels his tummy squeeze as tight as a ball. What if she is too bossy? Jack worries. Or, even worse, what if she is not bossy enough?

Jack and Billie arrive at their classroom. The new teacher is already there. She has written her name on the board. Miss Anna Capaldi ‘Hello, everyone!’ she calls in a bright voice. Everyone in the classroom wriggles with excitement. They all look at each other, grinning. ‘My name is Miss Capaldi,’ she says. ‘But you can call me Anna.’ Jack gasps. Anna? That doesn’t sound like a teacher’s name! The new teacher continues, ‘I thought we might change the classroom around. It would be good to try something new. Does anyone have any suggestions?’ Rebecca shoots up her hand. ‘What about we put the desks in a circle?’ she says.

That won’t work, thinks Jack. Half the class won’t be able to see the board! ‘I like that idea,’ the new teacher smiles. ‘Any other suggestions?’ Sam puts up his hand. ‘What about if we work in groups? We can move the desks together to be with our friends.’ ‘That’s a good idea, too,’ the teacher says. Jack feels funny. His tummy gets tighter and tighter.

Oh dear, he thinks. Sam and Benny will never get their work done if they sit together. Ms Walton always has to separate them! Then Miss Anna Capaldi smiles. ‘I’ve had an even better idea,’ she says in her bright sing-song voice. ‘It’s a glorious day outside. Why don’t we go out and sit in the playground?’ Everyone in the class cheers excitedly. Jack can’t help feeling excited too. Going outside sounds like a lot of fun. But he still feels very worried. What if the new teacher forgets to teach them anything?

The kids in Jack’s classroom run out into the playground. They squeal and shout and laugh. Benny and Sam race each other to the far end of the oval. Rebecca and Lola start a cartwheel competition on the grass. Oh dear, Jack worries. The new teacher will be so angry!

Just then Billie taps him on the shoulder. ‘You’re it!’ she shouts. Jack forgets his worries and chases after Billie. ‘All right, everyone!’ Anna calls. ‘Come and sit down in front of me.’ Jack stops running. But nobody else listens. Benny and Sam are too far away. Rebecca and Lola are too busy doing cartwheels. Even Billie is still running around. Jack bites his fingernails. It makes him anxious to see everyone ignoring their new teacher. Just then, Anna does a strange thing. She sits down on the grass and begins to sing a song. Not in a loud voice. Just a quiet voice. One by one, the kids stop laughing and shouting. They sit down on the grass beside Anna to listen. It is a strange song about numbers. Jack sits down, too. ‘One two is two and two twos are four. Three twos are six and four twos are eight…’ she sings. Rebecca and Lola stop cartwheeling. Sam and Benny run back to sit down, too. Soon everyone is listening to the new teacher sing.