It’s August and in the Holtz Castle that means one thing — time to go back to school.
My kids have a long commute for school each day. They roll out of bed, get dressed and walk down the hallway of our apartment to their piles of school books.
A couple of years ago my wife and I made the family decision to pull our kids out of the public school and have her teach them at home.
The experience has been great for them. My wife was a kindergarten teacher back in Indiana so I was confident that the lessons would be great.
My son is starting middle school this year so pretty soon I will have a teenager at home. My daughter, who if any one runs into her will tell you she celebrated a birthday this week, has benefited from the one-on-one attention.
Not to be outdone, my four-year-old is excited to start his preschool work. He told me a few weeks ago that all he wants to do is be able to read books like his big brother and sister. Really I think he wants the flashlight that comes with being able to read in bed when its bedtime.
And the baby is learning to walk. My entire family has caught the learning bug.
The back to school frenzy is not unique to my family. Families all over Polk County are getting ready to go back to school. (Cheap plug: Be sure to thumb through the Back to School Section with this week’s newspaper).
New teachers are getting their classrooms ready for students. Seasoned veterans are ready to teach the same lectures they have given for 15 years.
In just a few weeks incoming seniors will walk into school to start a new year. Pretty soon they will be walking across the stage and receiving their diplomas.
The clock has started ticking.
The one thing I always liked about going back to school as a kid was the fresh start. It does not matter what grade you earned last year — you have new teachers, new classes and a chance to start the year on the right foot.
Area teams are gearing up for a new season. Last year’s record means nothing. Everyone starts off 0-0.
August has been a busy time for me in recent years as a tennis coach. I coached high school and middle school boys in the fall and the biggest lesson I tried to get across to my student athletes was the idea of a fresh start.
My middle school players were just learning the game. So for them it was forget the last point. Play for the next one. My high school team was young — we only had one senior — so for them it was about gaining experience.
For my senior it was a last hurrah. It was the last time he would play for his high school. The journey was about making memories.
The last hurrah is not just for seniors. Parents, you are on a last hurrah also. This is your last time for a first day of school picture, a last Thanksgiving and Christmas before they head off to college.
Like I said, the clock has started. In just a few months that clock will strike midnight.
Rick Holtz is a reporter of the Polk County News. Find his column, Reporter’s Notebook, from time to time in the newspaper and online at www.polkcountynews.net.
