“Back to school” sounds like a foreign concept after the last year.
As I write this, we are a month away from the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, and I’m crossing my fingers and toes in hopes of children and teachers returning to normalcy in the classroom. Prayers for health and safety also abound.
For me, this will be the final “back to school” scramble as my only child will begin her last year of college. Granted, the days of scouring office supply aisles for just the right Trapper-Keeper (remember those?) and No. 2 pencils are long gone. Instead, we will pack up and move her from one apartment to another for her senior year.
If your child is just beginning his or her formal educational journey, soak up those first year memories. Before you know it, you’re shopping for prom tuxes and dresses.
If you were lucky enough to ride a school bus, as I was, you might recall forging good friendships with classmates during your daily journeys including getting to know your bus driver. You might even recollect running to catch the bus to avoid being left behind in a cloud of gravel road dust, knowing no excuse for missing the bus would appease your parents.
Riding the bus for the first time can be stressful yet exciting for children as they learn to be responsible and manage their time to balance home chores and homework. We offer a safety article on Page 30 that walks parents and children through the basic rules of bus riding to help build confidence and ensure the safety of all.
This issue celebrates the beginning of the school year with a story, found under the “features” tab, highlighting the Bluestem USD 205 schools and their ag education program. Your local electric co-op pages beginning on 16A also address back to school safety and other important local co-op news.
Happy new school year!
