School Stuff

By Ed Clark, The Delphos Herald
Published:  Monday, May 14, 2007 (1 year, 7 months ago)
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What does a kid feel like on the last day of school?
Rocker Alice Cooper (Top Ten Hit “Schools Out” 1972) seemed to capture the answer in an interview regarding the inspiration for the hit song:
Said Cooper: “There’s two times during the year. One is Christmas morning, when you’re just getting ready to open the presents. The greed factor is right there. The next one is the last three minutes of the last day of school when you’re sitting there and it’s like a slow fuse burning. I said, ‘If we can catch that three minutes in a song, it’s going to be so big’.”
School is almost out for summer, ushering in the favorite time of year for most kids (teachers, too).  The tread on the school tire is near the rim. The cart is going downhill-fast! Parents are spinning summer plans.
Over time I’ve heard many parents remark that you need to give kids a break — let them be kids during the summer — agreed, sort of. Summer time is an awesome time to be a kid — we all know that — enough said.
Kids, however, more than ever, need to stay school connected in some way during the summer. Next to nobody really wants to do it. A good many parents simply dismiss the notion. A kid might say, the “hard core” brain data tells us that if you disconnect the school brain for 10-12 weeks in the summer, you lose ground. Some educators call it “summer set back.”
What to do? I like simple. Many parents I know do too.
Here’s a simple guide for a summer plan:
Read, read, read and read some more. If your student is primary to middle school, the local library has the summer reading program packaged and ready; all the parent has to do is sign up and show up. If your kid struggles at all in reading or is unwilling, this program is a gotta do it.
If your student is a little older or not going to the library program, entice, motivate, bribe them to read something they want to read.  Reading something of specific interest on the internet counts. Technical reading is good too! (mechanical magazines, cars, etc.) The kicker is to motivate them to read something they are interested in. The parental follow up is to talk to them about what they are reading and in doing so, act interested!
If you can, attempt to set it up so that the reading gets done before the daily summer fun. If you can figure a way for your kid to actively read 30-60 minutes a day Monday through Friday during the summer you have scored big. Your kid will have picked up some 80-90 hours of brain-excercising, vocabulary building, reading.
If the young athlete shot, lets say, free throws for the same 80-90 hours, would they improve at the charity stripe? The concept is simple, it requires a little get-after-it and can pay untold benefit. Make this the summer you do it!
If you get a chance in the coming weeks, maybe take the opportunity to thank one of your kids teachers. Their job is intense, demanding, and they spend 6-7 hours daily Mon.-Fri. educating and influencing young lives — then often go home and prep some more. Most make a difference with kids. A simple thanks speaks loud. Maybe this thought can also serve as a kindly reminder to the next knucklehead that wants to remind a teacher of how much time they get off in the summer — just maybe?

A Little Diddy….
“Holdin on to 16 as long as you can, Changes come around real soon, make us women and men” (John Cougar Mellencamp #1 “Jack and Diane” Oct/82’) Indiana man Mellencamp reflects on the sweetness of sixteen and the soon-enough-leaning toward real world with this lyric line you may remember.  High School Seniors can almost touch the graduation finish line tape.  In many ways the graduates will move from the gymnasium of school to the grand canyon of life.  An awesome juncture in their young lives — best of luck to all the dream chasers.
Cheering a strong finish to the school year…. Congrats and Happy Days to the graduating kids of 2007.

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