Beech Tree News Network

Late author Winifred C Marshall said, “School bells are ringing loud and clear; vacation’s over, school is here.” Locally, August 11 will be students’ first day back for the 2021-2022 school year. I hope this school year is a great one!

Thinking about the beginning of a new school year, I asked a few people, “Do you have back-to-school tasks to do in the next few weeks? If so, what are they?” Their responses are listed below:

-Literally everything regarding school supplies and clothes.

-Buy all the Kleenex in Walmart, Target, and Sam’s Club. I’m not sure that will be enough.

-Buy school supplies and school clothing.

-I’ve got to get clothes, all the school supplies, and haircuts!

-I need to go shopping for supplies and clothes.

-We homeschool. My back-to-school tasks are pretty mundane. I order our curriculum, and we always enjoy unboxing it together when it arrives. I browse the teacher guides, print quizzes and tests, and organize in binders and folders. We buy supplies (notebooks, pencils, etc.), and we clean and organize the school space. A couple of years ago my daughter decided she wanted a school uniform, so we had some fun deciding on school colors and picking out clothes, but she’s abandoned that idea.

-I actually spent all day today back-to-school shopping with my girls. I took them on separate trips so their experiences could be more personalized. Our younger daughter’s shopping trip was geared toward the typical new clothing, shoes, etc. Since our older daughter is starting college, her trip was geared more toward buying things to create a good space for her to study. Hair appointments are up next. We wait to buy most school supplies once they meet their teachers and find out from them exactly what they’ll need.

-Since I work in a school, my boss lady usually makes lists for me so my tasks will be whatever she puts on there. I will also shop for my kids – clothes, backpacks, shoes, etc.

-Weird things I do every year: organize cabinets, jewelry, and closets. I also want to get my tan back before school begins.

-I go through closets and drawers.

-For our youngest daughter, I need to have her choose a backpack online to order ASAP. I have gone through her clothes and shoes to see what she needs before taking her shopping, so that will be a trip we make soon, along with one to let her pick out her school supplies. I also need to make sure her ear buds and chrome book are working well and that she has chargers. I have scheduled her haircut, nail and pedicure appointments, and made sure she has appointments scheduled for dentist and vision. She also needs to get a sports physical. At work, the list to prepare for the back-to-school celebration, Opening Day for staff, and the first day for students is long. Checking things off one day at a time….

-I need to get my classroom ready and get my daughter some new clothes.

-I try to squeeze every last second out of summer by going to Holiday World, cooking out, and going to any pool I can find open.

-I have actually gotten all their school supplies and stuff. We just have haircuts left to do.

-Yes, I do. I’m not sure, but the to-do list will be rather extensive – supplies, clothes, meet the teacher. I’m just thrilled that my kids are old enough that I can delegate some of the tasks.

Malala Yousafzai said, “One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world,” and Conan O’Brien said, “Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen” (https://parade.com/1056225/marynliles/back-to-school-quotes/). Let’s support school personnel, parents, and children’s education. After all, it takes a village to raise a child.