Beech Tree News Network

Most regional schools are in session. School buses are rolling, and teachers are in their classrooms. And my younger grandchildren have a new schedule.

Recently, my young granddaughters have been going to bed a little earlier to get used to an earlier bedtime. An article on the Internet (https://www.activebeat.com/your-health/children/7-healthy-back-to-school...) suggested seven ways to help students get a good start in school. The first of those tips was “bring back the bedtime.” Getting enough sleep is critical to student learning. And it’s an easy method for parents to help their children learn!

Kentucky school calendars traditionally include about 176 days. School calendar days may vary a bit from state to state and certainly vary around the world. One article shared the following facts (https://www.todaysparent.com/family/activities/back-to-school-10-fun-fac...):

·         Not every country has the same school days as we do here in North America. In Brazil, school runs from 7 a.m. to noon because students go home to share lunch (the most important meal) with their family. And in Mexico, students go to school Monday through Friday with elective classes on Saturdays, too.

·         Think eight weeks of summer vacation is too long? In Chile, summer vacation lasts from mid-December to early March, meaning Chilean children are off for about 12 weeks. And in Ethiopia, vacation is 12 to 15 weeks, depending on the school. Germany, however, only has a very short six week vacation.

I’m sure the Chilean and Ethiopian school vacation lengths would sound very appealing to our local students.

Most people have opinions about education. And certainly, opinions vary. The quotes below (https://quotabulary.com/awesome-back-to-school-quotes) reflect some attitudes and beliefs about education:

·         Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. – Nelson Mandela

·         Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. – Malcolm Forbes

·         Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained, and delighted. – Dr. Seuss

·         The wise teacher knows that 55 minutes of work plus 5 minutes laughter are worth twice as much as 60 minutes of unvaried work. – Gilbert Highet

·         Believe you can and you are halfway there. – Theodore Roosevelt

·         The educated differ from the uneducated as much as the living differ from the dead. – Aristotle

·         The difference between school and life? In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson. – Tom Bodett

·         Learning is not compulsory…neither is survival. –Henry Beecher

·         When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t. – Thomas Edison

·         But there are advantages to being elected President. The day after I was elected, I had my high school grades classified Top Secret. – Ronald Reagan

When children go back to school, families follow a more rigid schedule – whether they want to or not. My granddaughters will miss sleeping late in the mornings. When asked about school, one said she was ready to see her friends at school, and another said she would rather stay home. Regardless, I pray the children have a good, safe school year!