Religious Education Update: August 12

Religious Education Update
August 13, 2006


Summer ends early this year. While my calendar says that summer continues on its pages until September 23, school districts and schoolchildren are already preparing for opening day. I miss the “good old days” when Labor Day was the last hurrah before the kids’ return to the classroom.

I believe that the value of summer for children is greatly underestimated in our rush to get them all back at their school desks. Summer is a time to get in touch with the natural world, whether by attending camp, or hiking or watching a garden grow. Summer is a time for being “bored”, a much unappreciated condition which forces children to use their imaginations, to be creative and resourceful, and to find their own interests and passions. Summer is a time to explore, whether that exploration happens at a nearby seashore or faraway lands. Summer is a good time to reconnect with distant family. Summer is a time to relax somewhere in nature, whether in the backyard or some more exotic place and think about the big questions, “Why am I here?” or “How was this vast universe created?”

Parents in some states are already protesting the early school start dates, and four states have already passed laws tying the start of school to Labor Day. Parents argue that schools are adjusting their calendars to create more instructional days before high stakes testing dates, rather than considering the needs of children and families.

However, faced with the current reality of short summers here in California, I believe that our best remedy is to continue to keep the benefits of summer alive, by continuing to connect with nature and by making time to relax and recreate. I realize how difficult it is to keep a balance in children’s lives with the beginning of soccer season and back to school activities.

Just remember, my calendar tells me that it is still August.

Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education