School: Memories and expectations

A few weeks ago, I happened to look out the back window when something next door caught my eye: Grayson and Leroy were chasing each other up the backyard hill of their grandparents’ home. Laughing and running, they were just enjoying each other’s company, without a care in the world. It was a snapshot in time, a seemingly insignificant moment that, in the future, will likely be remembered with great affection and nostalgia.

When we first met, both boys were in primary school. This fall, Grayson will move on as a Gar-Pal freshman and Leroy will be a seventh grader at the Garfield campus middle school. A few days ago, they were kind enough to sit down with me to share some thoughts about their educational experience.

The BIG date stamp of this fall is the fact that, with Grayson now riding the bus to Palouse, they will no longer share their daily walks back and forth from school. As they reflected, both boys agreed that most of the middle school teachers “were pretty nice … if you did your work.” The three “Spirit Weeks” interspersed throughout the school year also received high marks. Especially memorable was the one that included “dress up days” with specific themes: sixth graders acting as grandparents, seventh graders as adults, and eighth graders as toddlers. Also mentioned was the 8th grade “TA Option,” which allows students to spend the final daily class period assisting in the elementary classrooms. The end-of-year trip to Silverwood, including floating along “Thunder Canyon” was a positive ending to the school year. Both boys mentioned that they missed the Garfield pool being open this summer but look forward to returning to daily visits next year.

Being in high school means that Grayson will be crossing paths with lots of new people. Having participated in cross country, he is excited that the high school sports calendar will include more practices and meets. He is also looking forward to being able to choose from the variety of elective courses that will be available.

As our visit finally ended, I got the feeling that, for both Grayson and Leroy, reliving their school memories and considering future ones was an afternoon well-spent.