It's back to school week! Or is it?
We're never quite sure what to say about seasons and seasonal markers in these Covid days. In the fall of 2020, "back to school" might mean that you're expanding your wireless service so that virtual learning is uninterrupted, or you're picking up a Chromebook from the school district office for home use, or it might mean you're brushing up on your own 6th grade math skills so you can become both parent and teacher to your middle-schooler. Wherever you live, whatever your particular situation, this year back to school means a mad scramble to make things work.
Yet, when the evenings cool off and I can hear my mother's voice in my head announce that, "It'll be good sleeping weather tonight," I think about what fall used to signal. New pencils and notebooks, and for me, a former Catholic school girl, new knee socks to go with my plaid skirt and blazer. Did anyone else get their Bass Weejuns in August to break them in before the first day of school? Does anyone remember Bass Weejuns?
On Storied Stuff this week, we present six people who share their school memories from a kindergarten handprint to actual handwriting; from a graduation diploma to a meaningful graduation gift; from a field trip talisman to an attempt to understand a mythical school tradition.
We also depart from our six-stories-a-week routine. On Thursday, we'll be posting pieces by middle-schoolers, Mazzie and Molly, who won the Civic Leadership Foundation (CLF) Storied Stuff essay contest. Although their charming pieces are not about school items or experiences per se, we're delighted to include actual school-goers in our week of sharing. Congratulations, Mazzie and Molly. Welcome to Storied Stuff.
We should add that despite the uncertainties of the school year, CLF continues its wonderful work—partnering with schools and organizations in communities impacted by violence and poverty to teach young people critical lifelong leadership skills, preparing them for college, career, and positive engagement in their communities. To learn more visit: https://www.civicleadershipfoundation.org