As a superintendent or assistant-superintendent in these vacation days, you have the chance yourself or can influence others to travel to far-away places or staying in your own home community but this is such a great time to build those important family connections that can last a lifetime in the minds of our young people.
Some families as we know head to the seacoast, mountains or lake, if they have the opportunity, while others find significant time at home in a hopefully relaxed atmosphere enjoying local pools, city or town events and school facilities that are available. We referenced in the last column of the Jetty the importance of our students to read and urge all, who maintain contact via their website with parents over the summer, to stimulate our young folks to read as we all know the importance.
One interesting event that can occur near or far is the suggestion for families to visit historical locations, whether buildings or areas of significance in our great State. While all of us know buildings especially that have great history to them, I too often see many open but close to empty over the summer, which seems in my mind to be valuable time lost.
While many know our M.A.S.S. office is in the fine community of Lexington, I find that it is remarkable to see the number of young and not so young folks touring the many sites in the area, while too often we take them for granted.
In 1976 (my assistant superintendent days) I remember making the decision that because of the historical year, I would take the family each weekend to an historical location, which we did from the Bunker Hill Monument to the Empire State Building.
When we climbed the monument on Bunker Hill my daughter yelled out “what is up here” as she neared the top. I told her an opening to see Boston Harbor and the area around that part of Boston, which I found did not impress her but did my two sons. The reality is that every-time something comes up about Bunker Hill, they all remember that excursion bringing good discussion.
In the same year, our final day trip for 1976 was heading just after 5 AM to New York City to visit the sites in the area around New York and be back home by midnight. At noon we had lunch at the United Nations before visiting the Empire State Building along with some of the other great historical locations before we headed back home with a stopover in Pawtucket, Rhode Island for dinner with one in the family sleeping in the car, as we kept watch from the restaurant window.
Historical trips can be fun and significant to suggest to parents, as even most communities have so much in their libraries and local city/town halls plus some old school budgets if you yourself want to get connected.
My best,
Paul—-(M.A.S.S.)