Wa-a-ay Too Soon…
I’m with the kids on this one: “Wa-a-ay too soon.”*
All three head back to school on August 20th this year. Excuse me, but that’s a pretty big step over the edge of September into sacred Summer! I can forgive (and ignore) the store displays of school supplies in June. I can overlook the extensive summer e-mailings with “vital” information regarding the upcoming school year. But, the school bus pulling up front of our house in a moderately stretched week will be a little harder to ignore…
I’m sure there’s a good reason for the ever-expanding August creep; I’ll have to ask my elementary teacher sister for the inside story on that, but from present vantage point it still feels like an outright theft of summer.
I don’t buy the arguments in favor of “year-round” school. I understand many of the economical, environmental and educational reasons, but I still view summer as the ultimate “alternative learning” experience. And I hate to surrender even a day of it…
Last night, Matt, his friend and I walked Lily as Hannah practiced on a soccer field. An hour and a half of walking, talking, and eventually, ice cream cones for the return trip… We covered a few miles and a lot of interesting topics in that ninety minutes. Sports, travel, a bit of math here and there as we calculated time, distances and how far my spare change would carry us on the ice cream cones… We watched geese instinctively swim to the middle of a pond at Lily’s eager approach. Figured out how a rock’s weight impacts the distance it can be thrown… with proper field-testing, of course… There was a little bit about outer space, a little more about Sponge Bob and a lot of good physical exercise. Just an ordinary summer evening.
Yep. The kids are right.
Wa-a-ay too soon…
* “And “wa-a-ay too busy..!” I wrote the above about a week ago but haven’t had time to post it until today.
More “Utah Adventures” to come (Bryce Canyon National Park next)!
Also: a long week-end in California (Muir Woods,Pebble Beach and more…)!
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You sure don’t need to convince me about alternative learning experiences. I homeschooled my son most of his school years. He is in his last year at school now and has been in school for only two years. He is flying through with great marks and a mature attitude to life and the future that is seldom seen in children who have spent all their young years in a classroom. Architecture next year at University.
I can feel your pain at the summer ending and all that freedom for the kids and what a great chance to spend quality time with them.
We usually measure summer about the time my sister goes back to college– and that was really early this year because she’s an RA.
Now, if we change to homeschooling year-round we’ll only have a month off in the summer. That will definitely make it seem short!
Suzanne,
I imagine that your curiosity and enthusiasm for the world beyond your own immediate sphere benefited your son/student in innumerable ways! -Must be truly gratifying to see him “launching” in such an excellent manner…
MIntheGap,
At least with home-schooling, you have the ability to do some amazing travel field trips!
But yes, that extended block of unstructured time (summer!) seems to spark new creativities. We need it as kids; we crave it as adults…
Anybody travelling with you would learn a lot, Heather.
Yeah that is wayyyyyyy too soon to go back to skool*
they’ve taken all da FUN out of being a Kid*
+ the amount of Homework Kidz get these daze is Insane*
;)) Peace*
You’re right– we’re hoping to take a two-week field trip this October! It’s amazing what counts as field trips.
The folks in Tennessee went back August 9th as I recall.
We used to go back after Labor Day. Typically. I’m pretty sure it was always September.
The earliest my summer ended was when I shot off to Miami. That would have been prior to August 23rd as I started college when I was 17. I turned 18 within a week.
We’re not ready for school yet either. AND we have one more week than you! Where did the summer go????
Jean-Luc: Curiosity is a great motivator!
Billy: Thanks for the sympathy!
MinTheGap: Two weeks sounds just right for that kind of field trip! Where are you headed?
Delmer: Labor Day always seems about right. I never minded heading back to college at Indiana University “early” (I had my 18th birthday my freshman year too!), but I guess that had nothing to do with school…
Bad Momma: I’m glad you have another week; it’s SO quiet here this morning!!
I agree, anything before Labor Day is “Way……… Too Soon!” The 20th??? You’re kidding me right? By my calculations, that leaves 11 perfectly good August days of summer ruined by school. Yuck! I won’t tell your kids that.
Intrepid,
We’re slowly adjusting to being back in a “school year”, but it sure feels like summer! -Almost 90 degrees Fahrenheit today! I don’t imagine the teachers are too thrilled to be back in the classroom either!