Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard
Even though summer doesn’t officially end until September 21, it ends for most of us when the kids go back to school. Personally, I think I’ll take it easy for the two weeks we have left, and hopefully we’ll have some sunny days so I can relax in the sun, watch the neighbourhood kids get on the school bus, and reflect on the happy faces of parents who watch their little darlings trudge on their way to the great task of learning.
It has never been easy for most parents to see the little ones off, but as time goes by I’m sure they welcome the departure, especially when the young people reach Grade 6 or 7 and are more independent, and are hopefully still going to school whether they want to or not.
I realize that schooling isn’t always easy, especially learning the English language. Take, for instance, some of the following sentences:
With all the words in our English language, it’s half a wonder we are so very confused. Some other words to consider: polish, desert, row, sewer; all have different meanings when used as a noun or verb.
Mathematics is yet another great challenge. I wonder whether students are taught how to count, subtract, multiply and divide in school these days because I notice it’s often not a strong suit for many of the young people I work with. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been in school, so I imagine the teaching methods have changed. Regardless of how you are taught, an education is very important, so stay in school as long as you can; you’ll never regret it.
Congratulations to our very dear friend Bill Papineau of London, who celebrated his 80th birthday this weekend.