Skip to content
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Features
  • Subscribe FREE to Ray Hanania’s Columns
  • Advertise
Suburban Chicagoland

Suburban Chicagoland

Original News, Features & Opinion

  • About
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Our Writers
      • Ray Hanania
      • Bill Lipinski
      • Aaron Hanania
      • Steve Metsch
      • Steve Neuhaus
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Reach Out
    • Submit a Press Release
  • Sections
    • Events
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Features
    • Seniors
    • Comic Strip
  • Library
    • “MIdnight Flight” Online Book
      • Midnight Flight Book Overview
      • Midnight Flight Introduction
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 1
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 2
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 3
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 4
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 5
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 6
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 7
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 8
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 9
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 10
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 11
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 12
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 13
    • Villages, Cities & Towns
    • Federal Office Holders
    • County Officials
    • Legislators
  • Seniors
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Comment
  • Podcast
    • Two Guys on Politics Podcast: A Centrist View on Politics
    • Two Guys on Politics
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • The Arab street Podcast
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Toggle search form
  • Orland Township Democratic Organization Fundraiser Feb. 23, 2023 at Papa Joe's Restaurant in Orland Park
    Orland Township Democratic Organization to honor Former Secretary of State Jesse White on Feb. 23 Cook County
  • Zwar Restaurant chicken and beef-lamb Shawarma Plate
    How to have a great Middle Eastern meal in Orland Park area Culture
  • Orland First Responders candidates Matthew G. Rafferty and William Bonnar Jr.
    First Responders announce candidacies for Orland Fire District Board seats Cook County
  • D230 students win prestigious art awards Education
  • Alderman Raymond Lopez would have made a great mayor Blogger
  • Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar
    Cook County Announces Call for Transportation and Community Grant Program Applications Business
  • Inappropriate Illinois license plates
    New Secretary of State reaffirms rejection of inappropriate license plates Chicago
  • Justice Department Health Care Fraud Unit
    Chicago Man Convicted of Participating in Illegal Kickback Conspiracy Chicago
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas receives the American Arab Chamber of Commerce 2021 Action Award for her support of Arab and Muslim Americans, returning more than $1.3 million to Arab and Muslim taxpayers.
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas refunding more than $47 million to homeowners Cook County
  • money $20 dollar bill, dollars, cash
    Buckner unveils plan to help businesses and strengthen job Business
  • Chicago Mayoral candidate Kam Buckner 2023
    Buckner slams Garcia, Johnson and Lightfoot for Crypto hypocrisies, supports probes Chicago
  • Fighting oppressive taxes in Cook County Editors Pick
  • Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman
    Suburbs lose a great leader in Liz Gorman Blogger
  • Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman
    Liz Gorman brings sanity and services back to Cook County Board Blogger
  • Alexi Giannoulias, former Illinois state treasurer and candidate for Illinois Secretary of State
    Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias releases comprehensive Transition Team report Government
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Aug. 18 for the new performing arts center at Argo Community High School in Summit. The new center was made possible thanks in part to a $1 million donation from alumni Richard and Sharon Portillo. (Photo by Steve Metsch)

Is the school year starting too soon?

Posted on August 29, 2017November 29, 2019 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Is the school year starting too soon?
SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  

Is the school year starting too soon?

It’s the beginning of August and my son is already consumed with figuring out his high school schedule and buying his books and schools supplies. Isn’t that too early for young people to stop enjoying summer vacation and worry about school?

By Ray Hanania

Ray HananiaWhen I was a kid, it seemed like we had the whole summer to enjoy before going back to school. We’d get out in early June and didn’t have to report back to the classrooms until after Labor Day.

These days, the summer isn’t even over and kids don’t get to enjoy much before they’re already thinking about buying books, school supplies and worrying about the added costs of school, like lunch, transportation and new clothes.

My son is a junior now at Sandburg High school in Orland Park. His sister went there and I think they are lucky. Sandburg is one of the best schools in the Chicagoland suburbs. I exclude Chicago because any suburban school is better than the Chicago schools, “where I learned me English.”

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Aug. 18 for the new performing arts center at Argo Community High School in Summit. The new center was made possible thanks in part to a $1 million donation from alumni Richard and Sharon Portillo. (Photo by Steve Metsch)
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Aug. 18 for the new performing arts center at Argo Community High School in Summit. The new center was made possible thanks in part to a $1 million donation from alumni Richard and Sharon Portillo. (Photo by Steve Metsch)

Most of my school days were spent at Chicago schools where teachers seemed concerned with the star students and ignored the rest of us.

August was just a week old when my son was worrying about his class schedule, buying books and readying for school.

He shouldn’t have had to worry about all that in August. He should have been thinking about having fun. He should have been worrying about splashing in the pool, thinking about vacations and enjoying doing nothing with friends his age.

It seems like they put too much pressure on kids these days to be successful. Too much drive to make them perfect. Too much orchestrating their lives to be something that maybe is different from what they should be.

Kids should be able to spend a summer without any pressures to allow their inner creative selves to evolve and mature.

Kids need fun in their lives. It can’t be all business.

I’m not sure why the school schedules are so skewered or why parents think that it’s better to have their kids in school instead of enjoying the summer.

Maybe it’s the times. When I was young, we could stay out late without the fear of being murdered, or shot down by street gangs.

The truth is that violence in the 1960s was just as bad as violence is today. They were killing each other back then, too. But we just didn’t read about it as much. We didn’t get all the gruesome details about the crimes like we get today.

Maybe parents think their kids are safer at school instead of sitting on the “stoop” – the front steps of the front porch – where they are sitting ducks for errant bullets from street gang drive by shooting, or the influence of drug dealers.

Or, maybe some parents are just have no choice. When I was young, most kids had their mothers at the home taking care of them, watching them and helping to keep them out of trouble. My mom worked at the Solo Cup factory while my dad worked in the Loop. But that was the exception. Most of the other kids had at least one parent around during the summer days to keep them out of trouble.

Today, parents see schools as much as learning centers as they do day-care centers. In some cases, school is the only place where some kids get a nutritious meal, or even a hot meal.

If schools are having problems, it’s because of our society. We put the emphasis on the idea of having school in session instead of putting the priority on what’s best for our children.

It’s about the kids. The priority should be on the kids.

I’m not saying the teachers or administrators or even the government officials are not doing their jobs. They are working hard and they deserve our praise. I am saying let’s stop and think about how things have changed and ask ourselves, is it really for the benefit of our kids?

(Ray Hanania is an award winning columnist, author and former Chicago City Hall reporter. Email him at rghanania@gmail.com. His columns appear online and in the Southwest News Newspaper Group.)

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.

Follow RayHanania on Gettr.com, the uncensored Twitter Ray Hanania on Gettr, the new Twitter
Ray Hanania
Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
  • Orland Township Democratic Organization to honor Former Secretary of State Jesse White on Feb. 23 - February 2, 2023
  • How to have a great Middle Eastern meal in Orland Park area - January 31, 2023
  • D230 students win prestigious art awards - January 26, 2023
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  
 
 
 
           
Baby Boomers, Education, Opinion, Orland Park, rayhanania Tags:August, schools, summer vacation

Post navigation

Previous Post: Rauner protects suburban schools against Chicago fund grab
Next Post: Orland Park Announces Hurricane Harvey Relief Effort

Related Posts

  • Former Illinois Senate Kirk Dillard. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    The Political Grapevine: COVID is the excuse for everything Blogger
  • J.B. Pritzker receives endorsement from UFCW. Pritzker's Facebook Page
    Pritzker to give financial aid to illegal and undocumented students Education
  • Graduated state income tax for Illinois makes sense Opinion
  • Lori Lightfoot speaking at Police Accountability Task Force hearing in 2016. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    No Whites allowed in Lightfoot’s Chicago Blogger
  • Fireworks display for the 4th of July. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Orland Park Police Remind All to Drive Sober This Independence Day, and Every Day Cook County
  • "You'd Better Put Some Ice on That" book by Juanita Broaddrick, who was raped by former President Bill Clinton.
    Snow isn’t only thing making the week rough Blogger

More Related Articles

Special Column/Podcast: Ald. Lopez says Mayor Lightfoot’s failures empower street gangs Chicago
Police Squad Car, courtesy of Wikipedia When we care more about politics than murder Blogger
Ray Hanania on Politics podcast logo Podcast: The Politics of Massacres, race in America and are we great? Blogger
N95 Hospital quality coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic face mask. Three weeks of staying home because of COVID-19 and I am ready to break out Blogger
Perseid Meteor Shower. Photo courtesy of NASA Poor journalism blocks Perseid Meteor Shower Blogger
Orland Firefighters ring the Fireman’s Bell during ceremonies Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018 commemorating the 17th Anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Photo courtesy of the Orland Fire Protection District. Orland Fire Protection District Commemorates 9/11  Fire

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Alderman Raymond Lopez would have made a great mayor
    January 26, 2023
  • Assault weapons, courtesy of WIkipedia
    Pritzker’s assault weapons ban not enough to make law abiding citizens safe
    January 16, 2023
  • Lori Lightfoot speaking at Police Accountability Task Force hearing in 2016. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot must go
    January 15, 2023
  • William O. Lipinski former Congressman from Illinois (5th and later 3rd District). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Right from the Middle: Return semi-conductor and chip-making industries to America
    January 15, 2023
  • William O. Lipinski former Congressman from Illinois (5th and later 3rd District). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Right from the Middle: The China threat to Asia’s Democracy
    January 9, 2023
  • Harry and Patricia Michalski courtesy of their facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10105680464226180&set=t.100009314491026&type=3
    Remembering Pat Michalski who dedicated her life to diversity and fairness
    December 30, 2022

Subscribe

  • Ray-Hanania-Newsletter-300-wide-Banner.jpg

Trending

  • Lori Lightfoot speaking at Police Accountability Task Force hearing in 2016. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Chicago Mayor Lori Lightf... Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot must go Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has faile... posted on January 15, 2023
  • Paul Vallas candidate for Chicago Mayor 2023. Photo courtesy of the Paul Vallas website Vallas urges probe in Lig... Vallas urges probe in Lightfoot's CPD scandal and accuses of Congressman Ga... posted on January 16, 2023
  • Chicago Mayoral candidate Kam Buckner 2023 Black and Latinx Elected... Black and Latinx Elected Officials Unite Against the Chaos Caused by Mayor... posted on January 8, 2023
  • money $20 dollar bill, dollars, cash First Installment Cook Co... First Installment Cook County property taxes due date pushed to April 3 Coo... posted on January 4, 2023
  • Alexi Giannoulias, former Illinois state treasurer and candidate for Illinois Secretary of State Secretary of State Alexi... Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias releases comprehensive Transition Team... posted on January 17, 2023
  • NEWS
  • Orland Township Democratic Organization Fundraiser Feb. 23, 2023 at Papa Joe's Restaurant in Orland Park
    Orland Township Democratic Organization to honor Former Secretary of State Jesse White on Feb. 23
    February 2, 2023
  • Zwar Restaurant chicken and beef-lamb Shawarma Plate
    How to have a great Middle Eastern meal in Orland Park area
    January 31, 2023
  • Orland First Responders candidates Matthew G. Rafferty and William Bonnar Jr.
    First Responders announce candidacies for Orland Fire District Board seats
    January 31, 2023
  • D230 students win prestigious art awards
    January 26, 2023
  • State Rep Fran Hurley 35th district
    Hurley Named Chair of Police and Fire Committee
    January 25, 2023
  • Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar
    Cook County Announces Call for Transportation and Community Grant Program Applications
    January 23, 2023
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png

The Political Pundit

Political Pundit Aug. 24, 2021. Taliban thanks president for boxes of MAGA hats
  • WORD PRESS REVIEWS
  • MyCloud by Western Digital, a hard drive that doesn't last. Don't purchase Western Digital.
    Western Digital tubes its loyal customers for profit
    October 17, 2021
  • Macho Themes website front page. Don't buy their themes. They don't work
    Difficulties with Macho Themes for WordPress
    August 21, 2021
  • TECHNOLOGY REVIEWS
  • William O. Lipinski former Congressman from Illinois (5th and later 3rd District). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Right from the Middle: Return semi-conductor and chip-making industries to America
    January 15, 2023
  • William O. Lipinski former Congressman from Illinois (5th and later 3rd District). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Right from the Middle: The China threat to Asia’s Democracy
    January 9, 2023
  • Sam Bankman-Fried in an interview during the Bitcoin 2021 conference. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Demands continue for Lightfoot and Garcia to detail ties to FTX scandal
    December 15, 2022

Follow Ray Hanania at
Gab.com, MeWe.com
IDobbinate.com,
Twitter, Facebook

Creative Commons License
All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

What We’re Reading

Arab News Newspaper Leading English Language Publication in the GulfArab News Newspaper

Ray Hanania on Politics
SW News Newspaper Group

  • SPORTS
  • Chicago Wolves 2022-2023 season
    Chicago Wolves top Stars for second win in a row
    October 25, 2022
  • Stagg Marching Band Pit Crew as efficient as a NASCAR pit stop! The team that does a lot of the work to help the Stagg High school band perform works behind the scenes like a NASCAR pit stop. The students are profiled in this feature
    Stagg Marching Band Pit Crew as efficient as a NASCAR pit stop!
    August 31, 2022
  • Soccer. Photo by Md Mahdi on Unsplash
    International soccer returns to SeatGeek Stadium
    August 7, 2022
  • Stefan Noesen, Chicago Wolves
    Chicago Wolves Noesen wins President’s Award
    July 22, 2022
  • NEWS RELEASES
  • Zwar Restaurant chicken and beef-lamb Shawarma Plate
    How to have a great Middle Eastern meal in Orland Park area
    January 31, 2023
  • Orland First Responders candidates Matthew G. Rafferty and William Bonnar Jr.
    First Responders announce candidacies for Orland Fire District Board seats
    January 31, 2023
  • Paul Vallas candidate for Chicago Mayor 2023. Photo courtesy of the Paul Vallas website
    Paul Vallas demands Lightfoot explain email scandal, and use of government resources for political campaign
    January 12, 2023
  • David Crowley, Milwaukee County Executive. Photo courtesy of Milwaukee County
    Milwaukee County sells 90 lots for single family homes
    January 11, 2023
  • Paul Vallas candidate for Chicago Mayor 2023. Photo courtesy of the Paul Vallas website
    Chicago’s Police Officers Endorse Paul Vallas for Mayor
    January 9, 2023
John Kass Columns

Order the book PoweR PR; Ethnic Activists Guide to Strategic Communications

  • BUSINESS NEWS
  • Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar
    Cook County Announces Call for Transportation and Community Grant Program Applications
    January 23, 2023
  • money $20 dollar bill, dollars, cash
    Buckner unveils plan to help businesses and strengthen job
    January 19, 2023
  • United Airlines Flight at O'Hare Airport
    United offers endless airline travel problems for travelers
    December 25, 2022
  • Sam Bankman-Fried in an interview during the Bitcoin 2021 conference. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Demands continue for Lightfoot and Garcia to detail ties to FTX scandal
    December 15, 2022

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

Click this link to watch or use the widget below:

Click here to view the video on YouTube or use the widget below.
Email Ray Hanania for more information about performing at your event at rghanania@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2022 Suburban Chicagoland & Urban Strategies Group

Powered by PressBook Premium theme