When I was growing up (do we ever stop growing up?) there was an annual custom in our family the night before school. My mother would sing us a little ditty that her mother sang to her. It went like this: "September's here / and the air is clear / and you're old enough and big enough to go to school." It's kind of hard to hear it without the tune, but it was upbeat and got us all excited for the next day and the year to come. In fact, this tradition grew roots and to this day my mother will call each of her children or grandchildren the night before their 1st day of school (even graduate school) and sing us the song, and if she forgets then we will call her and ask her to sing it to us. Even if school starts in August, the lyrics don't change. We still sing "September's here."
With schools starting now around the country, teachers are busy preparing for their students, children are finishing up their summer homework, and parents are shopping for school supplies and snacks. There's both excitement and anxiety in the air. Will this be an incredible year of learning, of support, of growth, of friendship, and joy? Will school be a place everyone looks forward to attending day in and day out? Will our social-emotional needs be met and will we be seen?
I'm not sure I thought of all this as a kid. I probably just thought about my new red boots, or my baseball pencil case, or whom I would play with at recess. I'm sure I wasn't aware that my teachers had a life outside of school or that their job was incredibly complex. I'm also sure I wasn't aware of the worry that my parents had for me entrusting my growth and wellbeing to others. So much goes on behind the scenes to make a school year successful. And there will be good days and harder days. But as we gear up for another school year let's sing that song and remember that each year is a new beginning, that none of us is done growing and we are each works in progress. Even if you're not in school anymore, on this September 1st, I sing to you, "September's here / and the air is clear / and you're old enough and big enough to go to school."
