New Beginnings

September is a time for  “new beginnings;” not only in the schools but seasonally.  Many cultures celebrate their New Year’s in the autumn months.

As a teacher and a student, I have diverse feelings about returning to school.  It’s a mixture of excitement; “How are my students and colleagues doing?”  “Won’t it be wonderful to see them?” Then there is the overwhelming feeling, “Oh boy, do we have a lot of work to do!”  

Although it is an incredibly rewarding profession, teaching is a very serious profession and pressure to help our students achieve the maximum possible is foremost in my mind.

For children and adults, the annual gathering of school supplies is a physical reminder of this new beginning. Whether one is a good or a not-so-good student, feeling, touching and using new supplies for the first time provides a tactile representation of this new beginning. Opening your notebook and writing your name in it for the first time is palpably exciting.

 New school supplies are costly; we spent $80 on my son’s supplies for school for eighth grade.  Multiply that by 2-3 more children, prices soar. If one’s family is experiencing financial difficulties, these costs are prohibitive.

My son collected school supplies for elementary and high school students as part of a service learning project for his Coming of Age year at the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island.  t was easy and fun and both of us share the feeling about how important new school supplies are.  By affiliating with The INN in Hempstead, NY, we were given a list of the bare necessities needed. We requested donations from friends and family.  Some people gave us money, which we promptly spent at Staples or the Dollar Store.

Some people chose to give us extra pencils, note books, folders, file folders, etc. some were “gently used.”  Many were in great shape, but some that were tattered, not so gently used, or quite obviously old, we donated to another group.  People were being very generous. 

However, our children are so aware of labels and fashion names and high end products.  No matter how much money ones family has, there still seems to be money for a cable box, satellite dish or IPhone.  Gone are the days where children want to use that half, torn out notebook. 

No longer do children want to wear their cousins used toys or clothes. They want their things to be new, not hand-me-downs.  Part of this is due to our media’s wonderful job of advertising and that makes people feel like they need something they don’t. The other reason is that these children do not want to stand out in school. They want to look like everyone else. They are hiding their secret; that their families are not doing well economically as they perceive their peers’ families are doing.

Whatever the reason, this was a great service project for our family.  Although we may never meet children who receive our supplies, we could imagine how these children will feel; like my child and my students feel bringing their supplies and opening their notebooks for the first time.

I hope everyone everywhere has a wonderful school year.