It’s that time of the year that has different meanings and significance for various groups.
Yes, it’s back-to-school time.
For students, it can be the most dreaded four words they will hear all summer. For parents and grandparents, those four words may have an almost joyful ring to them.
Regardless of how you may feel about it, our local schools will soon open their doors to kids of all ages. Even though some kids will say they dread the start of school, it is an exciting time for families.
The smell of freshly painted classrooms and the smiling faces of teachers greeting their new kiddos are some of the fun sights and sounds at the beginning of an exciting new school year.
Things have definitely changed from the days when I was starting back to school. Gone are the days of requirements of a few number 2 pencils, a Big Chief notebook, and 24-pack of crayons.
The back to school lists now are quite voluminous. And, when you add in the clothing and shoe needs, it can also be quite expensive.
When I was growing up, it was tradition for my Mom and Aunt Irene to take our family on a back-to-school shopping excursion. After a summer of wearing shorts and swimsuits, it was time to see what size jeans I could now wear.
I vividly remember one August when I had to move to the dreaded “husky” section for jeans after a summer of a few too many ice cream treats and orders of double cheeseburgers at the neighborhood Ernie’s Chicken Shack.
The nationwide average that parents spend for back to school supplies and clothes is over $600. That can vary from different regions in the country.
In our community, there are resources available to assist families with the expenses involved with going back to school. OCCAC has an annual back to school assistance program that provides help for many families. Many of our local churches have programs, which coordinate with the local schools for assistance with shoes and other school supply needs.
If you know of someone who is needing assistance in this area, please reach out to your local church or school.
Parents or guardians on a budget can also shop local and pinch a penny this weekend, as the back-to-school sales tax holiday runs Friday to Sunday.
Despite the initial dread of going back to school, I have so many wonderful memories of those days. I will never forget my Mom and Grandma Gowen picking me up after my first day of Kindergarten. They were almost as excited as I was on that memorable and fun day.
I wish all of our local kids, parents, grandparents, and school staff a wonderful first day back. I hope it’s your best year ever.
Jon Horner is a local community bank president, published author, and motivational speaker. He can be reached at jonhorner77@gmail.com.
