Ah, the first day of school. The day that kids await with dread, even as their parents prepare celebration dances. Well, except for parents of kindergartners, who burn through reams of Kleenex on this day.
This day is the beginning of the answer to all the questions that have been festering for weeks in the minds of students and parents alike. Will I have any friends in my classes? Will the teacher be nice, mean, all business, inspiring or something in the middle? What if I forget my locker combination? And, exactly what is that thing on the wall outside room 240?
With that in mind, I have a few questions of my own that I think the schools would do well to address as the school year begins.
This election cycle has already reached new depths of ugliness and acrimony, and it still hasn't gotten into full swing. Given all the disruptions that happened in the last two years, have the schools considered issuing new guidance for the coverage of and discussions regarding this election?
In honor of the new Colorado Rockies affiliate in New Mexico, has the district considered giving the new school in Candelas the nickname "The Isotopes"? What? Is there some other reason it should be named that?
Given that just about everything that happens in the schools now exists on Google, and given that in the last couple months, two major airlines had service disrupted by computer failures, has the district developed "Plan B" for if and when something happens to our computer system?
There's a new Harry Potter movie coming out in November. That's not really a question --; I just wanted to point that out. I'm sure the students are aware of it. There's also a new Star Wars movie. Because it's good to have things to look forward to.
Given the success of "Hamilton" the musical, who are the schools contracting with to turn important historical events into musicals? Not that it's that easy. But I'd be willing to bet, if you put 100 students in a room with American history books, and 100 students in another room with the soundtrack to "Hamilton," the second group would come away with better recall of the events in question and a greater interest in learning more. That's why I'm very optimistic about Doral Academy, with its arts integration curriculum.
Has anybody gotten an answer yet to the question of where the new school boundary lines are going to be if the bond/mill passes this fall? Or fails? I know it's hard to be precise, from the standpoint of the schools, when there are so many variables. But there is a certain part of the population that will vote "no" if it thinks the schools are dodging the question. Just a couple hypothetical answers would do a lot to assuage that faction.
Have the schools given any thought to how they're going to handle things this year when a young man who "self-identifies" as a young lady decides he wants to compete at a girls' sport, as happened this past spring in Alaska?
For that matter, have the schools given thought to how they're going to implement the Obama administration's instruction that the schools must accommodate transgender people using the bathroom --; and, assumedly, the locker room --; of their choice this year? And what effect is this policy going to have on school trips?
Are more schools going to --; finally --; begin thinking about imitating some of the elements of the programs that landed D'Evelyn and Jefferson Academy on Newsweek's list of the top 500 schools in the country?
And, last but certainly not least, this: There are going to be moments this year when our students achieve greatness, create beauty, discover insight, generate excitement, and genuinely leap towards their futures with the sort of na ve optimism that might change the world someday.
Are you ready?
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://arvadapress.com/stories/eady-for-the-new-school-year,234046?branding=15
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