Start of School Year

With the end of August, it is time for a new year to start. While January is one starting place, even though it was a long time ago, I link September with a fresh start and beginning again. A school year is starting over in a new grade, with brand-new supplies, different teachers and unfamiliar lessons. I enjoyed summer vacation but there was a sense of expectation when a new school year started.

As with so many things, school years have changed from what I grew up with. Now there are year round schools, with vacation in December and January, school starting in August and other variations. Yet in September, there are still sales on clothes and supplies, and retailers are preparing for the holiday season. The seasons are shifting, from the long, hot days of summer, to the shorter, cooler days of fall. In rural areas there is harvesting of the crops, with farmers watching the weather and gauging the best day to gather in the fruits and vegetables.

The days grow shorter yet summer still lingers during this transition. People shift from vacations to work and preparing for winter. The holiday season approaches, which provides a distraction from school and jobs. For many people, it’s a repeat of other years yet somehow there is a feel of novelty as the season changes. I hope that everyone enjoys the change of seasons and the start of different activities.

Pictures by J.T. Harpster