By Kim Baldwin, McPherson County farmer and rancher
The school year has wrapped up for my two children and summer break has officially arrived. The weeks leading up to those last days of school for my elementary-aged son and daughter were filled with tests, final projects, field trips, locker clean outs, a field day, a sixth-grade promotion and celebrations.
I imagine that after all of those busy days, as they waved to the children riding off in their school buses for the summer, my kids’ teachers collectively collapsed into their chairs exhausted. I know that’s what both of my children did when they got home following that last day of school.
But for many high school students and their teachers, that moment of rest has not happened quite yet. While the school year in the classroom has wrapped up, our rural school district, just like all of the other districts throughout the state, is still very open because of preparation for upcoming state contests in athletics and FFA.
Once our school district was dismissed for the summer, student athletes and FFA members have continued to show up daily as they’ve been preparing for their regional and state events.
I help our local FFA chapter prepare students for their state FFA events annually, and this year it is evident that a lot of students in our rural school are very engaged in many activities.
Students have come to the agriculture classroom in the mornings ready to study and prepare for their FFA contests. Following that time in the ag classroom, many will immediately go to one of their sports team practices to prep for regional and now state action.
Some teachers carry similar schedules as well by prepping kids for state FFA and then heading out to the field to help coach an athletic event.
Yes, for many high schoolers, teachers and staff, summer break does not start for at least another week.
I’m amazed at the dedication these students have by attending multiple practices daily. I’m even more impressed with the focus these kids have shown. It seems as if they are prepping for big, important high school events all at the same time right now and still showing up daily trying to give their all in every area.
As a volunteer I appreciate that these students come ready to work with me and their ag teacher daily even though their younger siblings are already in summer break mode. I also appreciate the focus these young adults bring to our prep sessions even though there are plenty of distractions around them.
These teenagers manage their time well and maximize their output in pursuit of continued growth and success, and I wish them all the best in the coming days of multiple competitions.
And once their summer break does begin, let’s be sure to give these kids and their coaches some well-deserved and much-needed time to rest.
“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.
