WEYBURN - Many families, teachers and school staff have started Back to School shopping, as they prepare for the start of another school year.
I feel a bit anxious about this upcoming school year for my son, as he is entering Grade 12 and on the final steps before graduation. It is a huge milestone and there is a part of me that does not feel ready, even though I know it is part of life.
Luckily there is little anxiety about what lies next for Christopher, as we have had conversations about what comes after he completes his Grade 12 studies. I am very grateful for the support and communication from his teachers at the Weyburn Comp, who kept this important milestone in the back of their minds since he first entered Grade 10.
These teachers and staff have helped guide my son through different options that await him. Some students will continue to pursue further education at the Southeast College, or other colleges or universities that will help them achieve their dreams. Some students will enter the workforce. There are other students who want to travel, or take a gap year.
For my son, there is an option to go back to the Comp to complete additional high school courses that he didn’t have in his schedule, and he will be joining the workforce.
Every student is different and it is important to keep conversations open and honest with the youth in question. As hard as it can be to accept as parents, our children do become adults in their own right and have to start making their own decisions for their life.
I plan to always be there as a support for my son, for his decisions in his life, just like both my father and mother were supports for me. I did have a lecture or two due to ill-advised decisions, however my parents were still by my side in the end. I feel very fortunate because I knew there was always a place for me to go, when everything seemed to be a mess.
I have already started to plan ahead for the big graduation day, since I expect to be an emotional mess when it actually comes around to that date. Many of my back-to-school memories this year include my son’s first day at pre-Kindergarten, and all his milestones and time at St. Dominic and St. Michael School.
We have been blessed to always have had a supportive educational environment. It will be hard (for me, at least) to say goodbye to it.
