I think back to my days in elementary school as we were closing in on the end of June. While I had to go to school every day, wake up at the same hour and go through the normal routine of school, once we were down to the single digit days remaining, in my mind, school was really over.
Fun Days, pizza lunches, dance recitals, school assemblies to say goodbye to retiring teachers and staff, parties. Nope, no learning going on here.
I remember the feeling of going to school without my school bag and the burden of work off my shoulders. I knew that I would be headed to school for fun; for popsicles, for days spent outside in the grassy green field of the play yard. I remember games of baseball, games of “Red Rover”, soccer games and on rainy days, we event watched movies.
Who is old enough to remember those A/V carts? You know the ones that were on wheels and had a giant VCR machine and a big TV perched on top? I always looked forward to this big metal contraption being rolled into the classroom because it meant the lights would be turned off and we could literally chill-out in the coolness of our air conditioned school after a very hot recess and watch something good on TV. It might not have been my favorite show or favorite movie, but it was always better than doing school work. The combination of the dark room, the cool air, I admit to sometimes snoozing. It was the best.
Things began to change once I hit middle school. Not as much silly outdoor stuff near the end of school but a much lighter load as we headed into the final stretch. However, things went downhill in high school. Hot weather and June always meant only one thing….EXAMS. I always remember sitting in my room at my desk and looking out the window at the beautiful sunny day that I was missing. In the same way I tell my teenaged daughter to go and study, my own mother would do the same thing to me. I can relate to what my daughter is feeling. The last thing on her mind right now is studying even though she knows its important and has to be gone through in order to academically succeed. But really, who the hell wants to be inside hitting the books when there were so many other things to do that are a million times better?
Once, I convinced my mom to let me sit outside in the backyard to do my studying. It lasted all of 10 minutes, when she came out and saw me fully reclined in the chaise lounge, eyes closed and half asleep. No alcoholic beverage to be found…don’t worry.
BUSTED!
I do remember the incredible sense of relief I experienced when I handed in my test sheet to the teacher for the very last exam of the school year, leaving the exam room, walking down the hall and walking out into the brilliant sunlight of summer.
YES! Over…done…finished. WOO HOO!
I didn’t even care about the final mark because at that exact moment, summer officially started. Marks? The hell with them…or so I thought. Fortunately, I never had to go to summer school to make up courses so I can’t relate nor can I comprehend the feeling experienced receiving a lousy report card and being told by my parents that I had to go to summer school.
To me, summer school students were that group of people that skipped the entire year or were stoners or bullies. Not that I was completely innocent and perfect in any way, but I was good enough to escape the hell of summer school.I think I have successfully put the fear of summer school into both my children. While they both have summer plans involving camp, my wife and I continue to remind them that camp is not a rite…but a privilege. If they really screw up…camp is off the table.The hardest part of making good on that “threat” is actually dealing with an angry, bitter, crusty-gross child who has been denied camp and forced to stay home all summer long. Yuck, want nothing to do with that!
Camp is looking really good right now.
Regards,
