The First Day

On a beautiful May afternoon, seated beneath a gazebo in Ithaca, a group of parents and teenagers sat, their thoughts all directed towards one need. I was among them, seated next to two homeschoolers, one very talkative, the other quiet. We were a tribe of people from different backgrounds, age groups, learning styles, and educational  choices, all dedicated to one thing that we all found very important: homeschooling. The discussion went over different wishes, dreams, and hopes; until we settled on one thing that we all wanted, which was a consolidated day of classes, similar to school, and yet aimed to give a new option to those considering a tradition highschool (like IHS) or middleschool (like Boynton). We got relatively far that day, to the point where we could state the age group (12-18), day (Tuesday) and relative time (9-3). All left excited, although in my opinion, none more than me.

I was recently talking to some friends about what directions they are taking educationally. They are as diverse as the people themselves. Four of my friends are headed for a local highschool, which just started a “leapyear” program, allowing middleschoolers onto the premises. Another one is going to do the “Finstitute,” a local one room schoolhouse operation, aimed at 8-14 year olds. However, there is still a very big gap that needs to be filled. If you have ever gone to a homeschool co-op or event recently, you will find that it is filled with children, however not many over 10.

It’s a Tuesday morning, at 7AM, and my mom just came in and woke me up. I groan a little, not particularly used to such an early morning, but soon crawl out of bed. I feed my lionhead rabbit, giving ample attention to the small creature, and head downstairs. I get to work packing a PB&H sandwich, some grapes, a water bottle, and some tamari almonds. Soon its time to go, and I grab my backpack, where in a brown bag my lunch is stored. I climb into the car, and soon we arrive at the building.

I walk inside, where I spy my first teacher for the day, Gina. She’s seated on a cushion on the floor, and more than ready to fall asleep again. I smile, sit down on a particularly plush cushion, and reach into my backpack for supplies. It’s the first day, and because of this we go around introducing ourselves first. After we all know names about as well as a mockingbird, Gina begins the lesson. We are starting in the most recent Ice Age-The Pleistocene, and I feel a shiver run down my back. We learn about Paleoecology (the study of the most recent Ice Age) and about all sorts of flora and fauna, climate related information, and all that cool stuff.

After we finish that class, Jessica Warner, who has been lurking in another room putting the finishing touches on our first art project, steps in. We all stay where we are, and she sits down. We go around saying our names, and a little about ourselves. She soon deems us ready to begin, and so we do. Today we practice making collages, and the beautiful patterns that appear as if by magic take my breath away. I feel like an incredible artist as I glue image after image onto the card stock I’m working with. Too soon we finish, and I thank Jessica, grab my backpack, and dash outside.

It’s a glorious day in September, and the sun shines down on us from a big, indigo sky. I sigh happily, the fresh air and slight crimson on the leaves making my spirits high. I stroll over to where Allyson and Emily are standing. We walk for a while, until we find the perfect place to sit down and eat our lunches: a park. I plop down on the dark green grass, and a slight breeze messes with my hair. We all chat about just about anything, our hearts content, and our minds fully satisfied. Soon, as time must move along, we begin to head back to where our next class is going to be.

A smiling man stands in front of the class, holding a robot in his hands. We all walk up to him, excitement written on our faces, as we watch him set the metal creature down. I am entranced as it picks up a notepad, flips to a page, and begins to write in blocky letters “Welcome”. We all stare, amazed that this little metal robot, without an ounce of brains to its name, can do something so magical and real. We begin to introduce ourselves, saying why we’re doing this program and what we want to accomplish in this class. Soon the time has flown by, and we thank him, ready for our next teacher: Jen Meyers.

Writing has always been my personal favorite of all the subjects. The freedom to express myself, unhampered by the norms of everyday life, enchants me. I love to write, and because of this, I’m particularly excited to see Jen. We all sit down on cushions as the afternoon light begins to move along the floor. She asks us each to write a diary entry about ourselves, our interests, and best qualities, what we want to work on, etc. After I finish, I look up, and see that the others are watching me. “Would you like to share what you wrote, Rose?” she asks me. I nod, stand up, and begin to read.

If you are at all interested in something like this, then by all means, sign up! There aren’t many spots this year, and because of this, procrastination is not the best strategy. This program is completely new, and is run by a unique group of local parents and children who want it to succeed. If you feel like this isn’t right for you, but you have a friend who would love it, then by all means, tell them! I suppose I’ll see you there, so thank you for reading, and enjoy your summer!