As I write this column, I am playing the song Summer in my mind by War, released in 1976. As I age, I find myself going back to my own days of youth and cozy reminscing.
“Ridin’ ‘round town with all the windows down
Eight track playin’ all your fav’rite sounds
The rhythm of the bongos fill the park
The street musicians tryin’ to get a start.”
Well, right from the start, this song ages itself with “Eight track playin’” since those technological marvels went out in the…in the…in the 70’s. And truth be told, most of us rarely ride anywhere with the windows down…much.
Summer is District 56 is very different than the tone this song seems to portray. Our district is filled with sounds of students in the halls of Eastside Elementary for Summer Reading Camp, for our Artistically Talented Summer Program, and cafeteria laughter at Clinton High School.
Cross country, basketball and football practices, scrimmages, and 7 on 7’s are weekly, even daily occurrences.
Renovations continue at the old American Legion Building (Post 56) soon to be our new District 56 Conference Center; windows are being replaced at MS Bailey and Joanna-Woodson Elementary School, improvements (including a net for extra points and field goals, tiered seating, and expansion of the end zone) at Wilder Stadium continue.
“Stretched out on a blanket in the sand
Kids of all ages diggin’ Disneyland
Rappin’ on the C.B. radio in your van
We’ll give a big ten four to the truckin’ man”
Again, I replay my youth. I was lucky…I had a CB radio in my car. Mom and dad thought it to be a good idea traveling back and forth to college to have a means of communication prior to the ubiquitous cell phone.
Rappin’ is still around although more now of a musical genre than necessary truck driver conversation.
Summer is such a busy time at the district office. Our financial year is from July 1 - June 30 so we are cleaning up the present (soon-to-be past) budget and preparing for the new one. Cleaning and maintenance are year-round projects and with the summer vacation being shortened a little with school starting for students on August 1, there still remains much to do.
PowerSchool, our district and school data platform, rolled over to the 2023 - 2024 school year last week. A big shout out goes to our Technology Department and Brenda Romines for letting us get things cranked up for the new year.
“‘Cause it’s summer
Summer time is here
Yes it’s summer
My time of year
Yes it’s summer
My time of year”
It’s hard to believe school is just around the corner. Summer is still my favorite time of the year. As a child, it was for my time away from school; now, it is our time getting things ready for the new school year.
And to cap it all off some new life is being pumped into my favorite middle school, again from my childhood, Bell Street Middle School. Thanks to the partnership among many people, USC-Union will take occupancy of the place where I went, taught, and was a principal.
Summer is a happening time of year, definitely “my time of year.”
Dr. David O’Shields is the Superintendent of School District 56.
