I’m looking forward to the sense of normalcy that will (hopefully) return as students head back to class and teachers ready to prepare young minds for the future
At long last, things seem to be returning to normal. I have to admit, like most school-aged kids about the time April rolls around, I often find myself beginning to yearn for summer.
While I don’t have the same feelings of absolute freedom as they did when summers marked a three-month break from school, studying and homework, summers still conjure up fond memories that I always look forward to reliving as the season approaches.
But in recent years, as transitions from spring into summer have become as seamless a transition as any other day, I’ve come to appreciate the return to balance that seems most clearly defined this time of year, after families have returned home from their vacations and as kids are heading back to school.
I spent the first day of school watching mostly eager-eyed children drag their parents through the doors of Harrisburg Elementary School for the first day of classes. Many of the young students grinned with excitement as they were reunited with former teachers. In some cases, it was difficult to tell who was more excited, the children or the parents, with their cameras working overtime to document the special moment.
The first day of school came, of course, just days after Hickory Ridge High School kicked off its school year with a triumphant football victory (congratulations Bulls!).
The social scene there was clearly much different, with teenagers, too cool to be too close, excitedly cheering their school on as parents watched from afar.
The two scenes provide the perfect reminder of what the next nine months is all about – preparing the youth of today for a life of independence and greatness.
In my time at Harrisburg Horizons, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with teachers all across our community, and I am confident that our children are in good hands. I am confident they will get the lessons they need to succeed in life.
Welcome back students and teachers. Here’s to another wonderful year, and a not-too-quick return of summer.
Jonathan E. Coleman
Editor