Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell August 25, 2009

Well, the new school year has begun. It is going to be a different year than any other. Since the kids will be going four days instead of five days. There will be many adjustments to be made by the students, faculty and staff. I know that the school board has weighed all of the facts and reached the best decision they could with the information that was available. When my kids were in school, they would have loved having Friday off. Jeff would have enjoyed getting those extra hours of work. Jennifer would have loved having the time to tweak and retweak her homework. I would have liked having that day to plan all of the appointments and a couple of shopping excursions as well. I am sure there are those who are not completely thrilled with the idea but overall I hope that we can support the board and try to make it a comfortable transition.
Schools certainly have changed from when my grandparents went to school. When the Bible was used as reading material and prayer was as common as recess. Even when I was in first and second grade, we said a prayer before we ate lunch. I do not remember anyone being offended. I cannot believe what our kids have to know in kindergarten. I did not go to Kindergarten- well, that is not all true- I went one day and that was all it took- for the teacher and me. I embarrassed Mom so bad that she made me take a little basket of apples to Georgia Sanders. I was to thank her for letting me come to class for the day. I thought that school was not for me- I really wanted to stay home and Dad could teach me all that I needed to know. When I brought home my reader from first grade, I soon learned that I did not want Dad to teach me to read, as he did not have the patience required. Mom was a good teacher and wonderful help with all of my homework. Mom was so much better at helping me out than I was with my kids- Jennifer learned rather quickly not to ask and to get help at school. Jeff was lucky enough to have Jennifer at home to help him.
Our parents never questioned the safety of the playground- Actually; even with the wooden teeter-totters that we got splinters from- or the wooden swing seats that would occasionally hit us in the head- or the merry-go-rounds that went very-very fast never once did I ever hear my parents say anything about it being dangerous. In fact, in many ways it was safer than what we play on at home.
We now worry if the playground equipment is safe and there is no lead paint on any of the swings. We never worried about the lead paint- my folks would have wondered why I would have been licking the swings in order to be poisoned by the paint. My parents never worried that the teachers were not teaching- their concern was that I had better been well behaved so that she could teach. If I had brought home a note that was saying I misbehaved to the point that I had to go to the principals office- life would not have been pretty in the White household. Now do not get the idea that I was a perfect child- there are many who could say otherwise- but I knew that the teacher was the one who we would respect and do as we were told. Dad told me that I might not be the smartest kid in class-(not that it was ever a possibility) but I could mind and I was to do the best of my ability. I think that maybe we all should be thinking on how we can make our kids education better. As we, all know it is easier to tear down than to build up- but if we tear down and destroy what are we going to have to show for our work?

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