Thursday, June 14, 2007

School's Out For The Summer!

...and how many of you instantly thought of the classic Alice Cooper song of the same name when you read that?

I thought so.

That song came out when I was around 10, and it was the perennial anthem until I graduated from high school. I haven't heard it once today.

Well, today was the last (half) day of school, here in our neck of the woods, and it certainly was... anticlimactic.

School got out at noon, and I was waiting for soccergirl when she came out, all smiles. All the other kids were similarly smiling. They were cheerful, and they said goodbye to their teachers... favorite teachers like Ms Kraft got hugs (from the students, not me!). The kids said goodbye to their friends, many of whom they will see in the summer for play dates, at soccer camp, or at Vacation Bible school, and so forth.

What I didn't see, and I was surprised about, was any... I dunno... exuberant behavior. They were happy, sure... but I sort of expected something even slightly more raucous, like when I would get out of school for the summer.

It dawned on me, there and then, that these kids all like school a lot more than I did... I suppose I should be glad.

I was stricken by two thoughts while I waited for soccergirl with the Alice Cooper song in my head (cue the Grandpa Simpson voice) "In my day, we were a lot more excited by the end of the school year" and "Jesus! Some of these teachers are young enough to be my children!"

I think I'll just go and have a nap.

As for Alice Cooper... school might be out for the summer, but I'm not.

11 comments:

Brillig said...

I've thought the very same thing! These kids LIKE school! What's WRONG with them? hahaha

PunditMom said...

Welcome to summer, my friend! (I WON'T call you grandpa!)

cathouse teri said...

I think I'll just be out for the day.

Lawyer Mama said...

Wow. In my junior high parking lot, I remember whipped cream squirting from a can, silly string, water balloons, and fireworks. Now *that* was exuberance!

Desert Songbird said...

My kids got out of school on May 24th, and I happen to be on campus that day for various reasons. Anyway, as the last bell rang, the 900+ kids stormed the pods outside of their classrooms, and pandemonium ensued. The first thing that went across my mind was "School's Out." Of course, Alice lives here, so naturally we heard that song on the radio often in the past few weeks.

Anonymous said...

I am with Lawyer Mom - I remember when I was in school - we went crazy the last day of school. Shaving cream fights, water balloons, who knows what else.

I used to teach middle school, and I don't remember anything really happening on the last day of school. Maybe because they were 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. I actually had a few tears from a few girls. A student that sad to end the year...ahh what a feeling. I really felt like I touched those girls.

Amie Adams said...

And what is with these last day half days? What's the point?

We're in until Monday--a half day. Will probably cost more to keep the air conditioning on.

Man, I'm feeling crotchety.

Alex Elliot said...

The last day of school was always a big deal for me. Now it brings a sense of panic as I have to think of how to entertain my older one until the fall. Thankfully there's camp for part of the summer anyhow!

Gunfighter said...

Alex,

We know the feeling.

For us there is soccer camp, vacation bible school, the summer art program at soccergirl's school, and a trip with mommy to visit the harpy-in-law.

For today... the first day of summer vacation, soccergirl gets to sleep-in.

jessabean said...

Coming from a younger generation, I don't really recall having silly string or anything like that on the last day of school...but that doesn't mean I LIKED school!

And now I have that song stuck in my head. Man, I wish I got summer vacation still...

Anonymous said...

When I was a kid, the last day of school was a big deal. There were always water balloons and squirt guns and lots of pratical jokes - it was a great day. Today, I think school is just different. It's not the same place it was when I was there.