SUN FUN 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2024

A bridge over a busy street for students to get to school.

BACK TO SCHOOL

“School days, school days, dear old golden rule days,

Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic, Taught to the tune of a hick'ry stick,”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQXO_8cM0BE - link to Tiny Tim singing the song!!  

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Yes, it is back-to-school time. Most public schools are already in session, and colleges will start in a week or two.

At one point, South Dakota had a regulation that schools couldn’t start until after Labor Day - so rural kids could go to the state fair and show off their animals and 4-H projects.  But that has changed.

On Facebook, I see the pictures of “Tommy going into Second Grade, Alyssa is now in ninth grade.” 

A Short Story about Going Back to School:

Thomas had put on his best new school shoes since it was the first day of the new year.

When the alarm had gone off this morning, Thomas had woken with a jump.

But now that was already an hour ago, and he was still staring, as though hypnotized, at the figures advancing on his radio alarm clock, minute after minute, wondering if a space-time glitch could swallow him up and transport him to another universe.

Thomas felt nervous. Just a bit. Well, he was scared stiff.

The same thing happened at the start of each year. A mix of stage fright and fear took hold of him and turned his insides to water. Oh yes, he could definitely feel his stomach cramping.

Thomas looked at himself in the mirror, smoothed his hair down again, and grabbed his bag. He forced a smile:

— Come on, Thomas. Get your act together. It's going to be OK, he told himself.

On the way to school, he could feel the tension building inside himself. Would Emma be just as sly and Anthony just as bigheaded?

Would the cafeteria have the same disgusting cauliflower cheese reeking of old socks?

Would he find a place for himself on the huge school campus?

Would the principal be as strict as at his old school?

And the punishments... oh jeez, he would need to watch out for all that.

But right now, it was time to line up. In twos. In silence.

When Thomas finally got to speak, everyone sat down. Time to get cracking.

— Hello, everyone. My name is Thomas, and I will be your new teacher this year!

*****

1.) Why did the math book look so sad?
Because it had too many problems!

2.) What is a snake’s favorite subject in school?
Hisssss-tory!

3.) Why did the student bring a ladder to class?
So he could make it to High School!

4.) What did the one pencil say to the other?
Don’t we look sharp today!

5.) What did the calculator say to the worried student?
Don’t worry, you can always count on me!

6.) Why did the student eat her assignment?
Because her teacher said, it was a piece of cake!

7.) What is the king of all school supplies?
The Ruler!

8.) Why did the teacher wear sunglasses to school every day?
Because her students were too bright!

9) Why did the teacher take away a student’s scissors?
So he couldn’t cut class!

10.) How do bees get to school?
They take the school buzz!

11.) How does a math teacher mow their lawn?
With a pro-tractor!

12.) What did the paper say to the pencil?
Write on, Bro!

13.) How do you get straight A's?
By using a ruler!

14.)  Why did the vocabulary book look so confused?
Because it lost its words!

15.)  Are all monsters bad at math?
Not unless you Count Dracula!

16.) Why was the school cafeteria’s clock always behind?
Because it was taking too many lunch breaks.

17.) What did the paper say to the eraser?
I feel wiped out when I spend time with you!

18.) What is a history teacher's favorite fruit?
Dates!

19.) Why was the Cyclops such a good teacher?
He only had one pupil!

20.) Why did other shapes love the 78-degree angle?
Because it was a cute (acute) angle.

*****

I was always eager for the first day of school as an educator.  Back in the fall of 1969, in my first teaching position at West Grant High School in rural Wisconsin, I had plans for about two hours of material for the first day.  Oops - that was done in about twenty minutes - so I let the students talk quietly among themselves!!

Years later, as a professor, I kept my class for the whole period on the first day.  (I guess I had learned a lot). <grin>

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May you have a great first day of school (even if you aren’t going to school!!).

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Tomorrow is the August full Moon. The August full moon is called the Sturgeon Moon, named after the large numbers of sturgeon fish that were plentiful in the Great Lakes and other bodies of water during this time of year. 

*****

Karen White