Summer is one of those things in life that people seem to take for granted. Not at first, maybe, but after a while, we tend to blankly accept that we have this nice weather, free time, and plenty of daylight, without fully appreciating what this season gives us.
One of my favorite parts of summer is the weather. Finally, after months of long pants and sweatshirts, we get to don shorts and tank tops again. We can shed the layers upon layers, and stop worrying about being so cold. We can sleep at night without bundling up like butterflies, and when we step outside to get the paper, we can go shoeless without worrying about getting frostbite in our toes. The warmth feels amazing after months of chill, and I try to appreciate it, even when it gets a little too warm.
Another wonderful aspect of summer, at least for students and teachers, is the extra time. It feels great to sleep in a little after having to get up early for nine months, and it feels even better to get to choose how to spend our time. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy school, but it does feel liberating to have our days back.
I think summer is especially important because of the break that it gives kids. Not only do we get some time to relax before the coming school year, but it also gives us time to adjust to the idea of moving a grade up. This hasn’t really been an issue for me, at least until now. But, with the coming school year bringing the promise of high school, I find myself spending a lot of the time that I have thinking about high school, and mentally preparing myself for the experience.
I once heard of an idea that some communities were doing called year-round school. With year-round school, kids would still go to school the same amount of days and hours, but instead of having three months off for summer, they would have those three months spread throughout the school year, and go to school over the summer months. There are plenty of benefits to this, but I am definitely opposed. I think kids need those three months of summer.
Summer is nice because it holds that feeling of infinite freedom. It’s the same feeling that I get on days that I don’t have to do anything, or go anywhere. The feeling that anything could happen, and you could go anywhere you wanted. It’s not an easy feeling to describe, other than the feeling of freedom. And one of the reasons the summer holds this feeling is because of how long that summer lasts.
I’m sure the time will come when I get bored, and can’t wait for school to start. I’m also sure that eventually, I’ll get tired of the warmth, and long for it to be cool again. However, right now I’m going to try and enjoy the seemingly endless time that is stretched out before me. I’m going to try to get used to the idea of high school. And I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that we avoid year round school. See you next week!
“Reprinted from Hagel Publications, Inc. dba as Courier Newspapers”