First Day of School 2017-18

Here we are already. The first day of school, for Lenape at least. My two 10th graders are going for a ½ day of school at Lenape Tech, and I could not be more proud of them. Braden will be going for CADD and Quinton will be going for Natural Resources. Apparently, Natural Resources is a hard program for 10th graders to get into. It is one of the most sought after programs and preference is given to 11th and 12th graders first. The counselor then looked at Quinton’s attendance record (zero missed days in a year) and great grades and said, “Well, that puts him at the top of the 10th-grade list.” So congratulations to you both.

A half day of school at Lenape and no school for Armstrong means I have to go pick the guys up at a shuttle stop across from Twin Pines Tavern on Route 66 near the jail. Braden thinks that I should allow him to walk the 2 miles home to Spaces Corners, on Route 66. Actually, Braden thinks that I should allow him to walk home from Armstrong School, or anywhere in general, he just wants to walk. Yeah, that’s not happening! Yes, I realize that people walk everywhere. I understand that older people walked 5 miles to school in the snow. However, this is 2017, need I say more? My kids are NOT walking, especially along the highway. Yes, I know that I’m overprotective. Does this make me unreasonable? Maybe it does. So I want you, my readers, to let me know if you would or would NOT let your son/daughter walk in this situation.

To my two sons, I wish you both a year of success and great personal development. I wish you fun and laughter with the new friends that you will meet. I wish you bully-free days and courage to stand up and side with the underdog who may be bullied. Bullying is wrong, if you see something, say something. But, I want you to remember that people are not always what they appear on the outside. That bully might be hurting inside, there is a reason for their actions. I want you to be kind and helpful, even if others are not kind to you. But don’t be a doormat.

I want you to remember that you are brilliant, each in your own way, and I want you to foster those skills that you have into great successes. I want you to remember that your teachers are there to help you and they love it when you ask them questions. If you have a question, chances are someone else also does. I want you to remember to say a “Hello, how are you today?” to people you encounter. That might make the bus driver, secretary, nurse, cafeteria worker, janitor, or teacher smile and have just a little bit better day. You are capable of amazing things, and you have proven this over and over again. I am holding you to this standard, oh, and remember, your use of technology depends on it!

Click here to read about the rest of the family!

© Clever Freelance Writing 2017