Always Living and Learning

Ah, summertime! Good ole’ sum, sum, summertime! Vacations, evening cookouts, baseball games, the movies, cruising down Santa Fe - radio tunes cranking - on a hot, July evening. It’s a time for students – and teachers – to recharge.

However, for many students, summer is a time and chance to make up school work in order to stay on pace to graduate one day.

Many students fell behind during the Pandemic school year of 2019-20. They either did not adjust to the virtual school environment from home, decided to work instead of focus on school work, or were perhaps ill with the Covid.

At Grants High this past early June – a few days following the conclusion of the 2021-22 academic school year - students who had fallen behind had a chance to do some catchup schooling. One day following the hallowed Memorial Day weekend, between 40 and 50 GHS students were back in the school grind mode for GHS’s second annual 10-day extension program through June 10th. Classes ran from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“I think this was a great option for students such as myself,” wrote GHS student David Garibay, in an essay assignment of student thoughts of the extension program. “Students who need just a little bit more time to finish off the credits they’ve missed. Working out these credits is a no-brainer. I’m glad we get a chance to make up the classes. I think this was a good option and opportunity for all.”

As one can imagine, your typical student is not crazy about summer school. We seasoned folks, well removed from our high school years, probably cringe when we hear the words 'Summer School.' Some of us had to go, others didn't. After all, who wants to attend school during summer break? Not many! Summer is about vacations to the mountains or ocean, playing sports, spending time with friends and family, hiking, biking - the full traditional summer calendar. And of course, people love to travel during the summer.

“This summer I plan to go back to my mom’s home state of Puerto Rico for my birthday month of July,” wrote GHS student Falicity Regalado, in an essay assignment regarding students’ plans for the summer. “And after summer school I am going to Wyoming with my tia and tio for a week. Other than that, I am going to spend the summer hanging out with my friends. I’m thinking of going with my best friends April, Malaya, and Olivia to Cliff’s Amusement Park at least once this summer. I love going swimming so I am really going to make time for that.”

Students who have fallen behind scholastically have a golden opportunity to make up some academic ground during the summer. Along with the 10-day extension, GHS students can also participate in the near summer-long Edgenuity program, a standards aligned, video-based curriculum students can utilize from home on their computers.

Also, many students find jobs in the summer to earn much needed cash for their wallets or purses. Many students, if they have not learned a solid work ethic at school, often do so by learning responsibility at their part time or full time summer jobs.

Some students, during the regular school year, actually work part-time jobs to help support their families while dealing with a full academic course load. That's a lot of pressure on youngsters ages 15-18. Certainly, I didn't face that pressure to work during my high school years in Northern Virginia. My dad was a high school vice principal and made a good enough living where his four kids, me being the oldest, could focus on school for nine months and enjoy our summers with sports, days at the pool, and beach trips to Ocean City, Maryland.

We had our own trials back then as my dad - a recent widower at the time – had to raise four kids on his own. I was 16 and the oldest. I had the greatest dad in the world. During the summer, he would come home each day for lunch just to be with his kids.

My students often have their own family struggles such as parents not often stressing the importance of education or not being a part of their children's lives. Some of our students are raised by grandparents or aunties or uncles. Others might even be living with friends.

Trials are part of life - we all have them. The teachers and administration at GHS care deeply for these kids and we do our best to help them move in a positive direction - eventually earning their diplomas and having career direction.

Summer, indeed, is about relaxing from the day to day school grind for students. But for many students, catchup school work and summertime jobs are also a part of the warm months’ equation.

My hope is that, GHS students – whatever their summers are like – stay safe and return for the upcoming fall semester refreshed and geared for another school year ahead.

Happy Summer time to all and God Bless!