Summer is over! - Montana Owners Club

Wordsmith · 07-25-2005, 12:55 PM

Well, I knew summer was going to be short this time around—and most likely for the rest of my career—but we are back in school and students come on Thursday. This is complicated for my high school as we are moving to a new building and the construction workers are still hard at work. Still, it is nice to be in a new campus as our old one was circa 1959.

Think about me as you enjoy all of your RVing adventures.

Oh, by the way, Marsha does not have to report back until Aug. 2 in her county and her students begin class on Aug. 8. I am so jealous…

melnjoy · 07-25-2005, 01:30 PM

Boy you scared me, I thought you ment the summer was over for all of us!!!!!
Well I am sorry to see you go back but also glad that it is over for you and not me. Good Luck in the new School.
Mel

Charlie · 07-25-2005, 02:00 PM

Scared me too....thought for sure we were in for cooler weather. 1959 was my high school senior year and we had a new school that year to finish with, it was refreshing to be in a new building. Lots of luck with the conversion JD, I'm sure you will make the best of the situation.

stiles watson · 07-25-2005, 05:17 PM

Into each life a little rain must fall. Sorry you got a gully washer. School is definitely not supposed to start til September 1. Hope you have some Montana stories to tell your students.

jrgwdenner · 07-25-2005, 06:28 PM

That is waaaaaay too short, especially for the owner of a Montana!

Bill and Ann · 07-26-2005, 12:29 AM

Thankfully summer is never over for us. I don't think I want to go through another Canadian winter.

vickir · 07-26-2005, 06:26 AM

Well, J.D. that just stinks! Maybe you can schedule some long weekends when you, Marsha and John all have a 3 day weekend ...

sreigle · 07-26-2005, 07:47 AM

Gee, J.D, I REMEMBER 1959! What's with the early start of school? Is this some kind of special summer class or special ed or something? I remember when school never started before Labor Day. But, then, that was because we didn't have AC in our schools!

Parrothead · 07-26-2005, 08:05 AM

Steve
When school use to start after Labor Day, we didn't have long breaks at TG, a week in Feb and another in the spring. And we didn't get out so early in June. This seems to be the trend all over now is to have several weeks during the year of breaks. I knew summer wasn't over for us because the thermometer read 105 when I first read this!
Happy trails..................

sreigle · 07-26-2005, 08:41 AM

That's true, Sue, although we always got out in May, before Memorial Day. But we had just a Thanksgiving through Sunday and two weeks at Christmas/New Years. Spring Break was one day, if I recall. Still had to have the 180 days of school. I think I liked the longer summers better.

When we lived in San Diego our kids were in year-round school for awhile. They put them all in the same rotation so they'd be off at the same time. I really liked that because they had three-week vacations four times per year. I remember one time in March we visited my folks in Kansas. We got a lot of those 'why are those kids not in school' stares but we knew the reason.

Parrothead · 07-26-2005, 08:51 AM

Yes year around schools are nice but accounting for the attendance is a nightmare. I made quite a bit of money when I was consulting going in and setting up there schedule. It makes a lot of work for the business (payroll, benefits, attendance accounting, etc.) and for the maintenance crew (moving teachers). Calif seems to be going away from the idea a bit. No longer required to get state funding for construction. Also in the hotter areas we were able to get a waiver because the busses didn't have AC and the kids had to stand in 100+ degree heat to wait for bus.
Happy trails.................

jpkelpe · 07-26-2005, 11:28 AM

My kids don't believe me when I tell them I only had 8 months of school the first 2 years I was in grade school. Nebraska didn't require as many days of school as they did then and we were all needed to help in the fields. (I think this may have applied only to the rural schools because I know the "Town" kids had more weeks of school). I remember we started after labor day and were out the first of May--no breaks in the middle of the year except for a week at christmas and thanksgiving and the day after. (I am sure the one room schools were also looking at saving one months of teacher's salary, too)

Wordsmith · 07-26-2005, 11:30 AM

Sue is not too far off about how our system is working. The catch is that we take two intercessions, one in October and a second that butts up against spring break. During these two weeks, students who are falling behind in classes can come in for extra practice, etc. We have been doing this for the last couple of years, and I truly do believe it is making a difference in learning. This year was complicated, however, because our superintendent decided the system needed an entire week off for Thanksgiving; that moved the starting date to last Friday for teachers and this Thursday for students.

I will confess that I like the week off in October and the two weeks in the spring, but this returning just past the middle of July is painful, especially when you wife—who is also a teacher—does not start until next week!

And, Steve, no special ed here, except for me who is out of sorts with starting this early with no air conditioning in my classroom in the new school!

Our next outing will be on Labor Day; and yes, I remember the good ’ol days when we started school then as well…

Parrothead · 07-26-2005, 02:52 PM

I too remember rural schools in Kansas where we started the day after Labor Day and got out in April or May so the big kids could help with harvest. My Mother and grandmother taught in those rural schools. There were not as many days off as now but also we started at 8 and got out at 4. Do it was a longer day and I bet if you add up the annual minutes of instruction, there were more then than now.
Happy trails....................

sreigle · 07-27-2005, 07:21 AM

Sue, where did you go to school in Kansas? Wichita, McPherson, and Wamego for me. Topeka for our kids. Hutchinson (Castleton) and Halstead for my Mother.

Parrothead · 07-27-2005, 01:35 PM

Steve,
You'll have to get your map out for this one. Melrose - I was the 87th person in the town when I was born. I went one year at Chetopa (catfish capital of the world) before we moved to Calif. They are in the very southeast corner of Kansas. Two miles from OK and 15 from Joplin. My family came from Columbus and Hallowell but I have tons of relatives all over that part of Kansas and also Missouri (Branson, Springfield and Carl Junction). I have some relatives in Wichita as well.
Happy trails................

sreigle · 07-27-2005, 04:08 PM

Sue, I did have to get the map out but I already knew where Chetopa is. I've been through there a number of times, usually on US 59. In high school I got paid by a guy to drive his new Ford pickup to Chetopa and pick up a topper for him. That was a lot of years ago. I looked on S&T to see where Melrose is and then realized I've been through there, too. Probably blinked and missed it, though. [

. We've been across 166 between Chetopa and Baxter Springs a couple of times. You are from an even smaller town than I am (2500). In fact, my h.s. class was almost as big (at 72) as your town! That's a pretty part of the state, though. That's not too far from Big Hill Lake, one of my favorite fishing lakes (big bass there!) and beautiful campgrounds (both sides of the lake).

Parrothead · 07-27-2005, 06:05 PM

Steve
Yes I think that area where the campground is use to be farms but after the coal mining in the 50's and 60's they made a lot of camping and hunting areas. Have you ever visited Big Brutus in Mineral? If not, it is worth a side trip someday. And if you drove from Chetopa to Baxter, you went through Melrose. We had a farm there. And my Mother taught school there. And my Daddy was the handsome bachelor in town. Need I say more?
Happy trails..................

sreigle · 07-28-2005, 04:19 PM

Small world, huh? No, I never saw Brutus. We saw pictures but never got there.

paulrem · 07-29-2005, 06:29 PM

Wordsmith, I know that this is no consolation to you, but there is hope. After teaching for 35 years each, we were able to retire and travel and enjoy life and the Monty. Keep your head up and the time will come, maybe sooner than you want. If you want we will enjoy the rest of the summer for you, I have a few ideas on how to do that.

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