Get on Board

One day in August a few years ago, I was watching television at my cousins’ house on Cape Cod. A commercial appeared showing a typical New England beach where parents and kids were enjoying a peaceful afternoon. Suddenly, everyone began running away from something not yet visible, while ominous music—like the soundtrack of “Jaws”—began pounding in the background.

What caused the panic on the beach? What was so menacing that everyone jumped up and began scrambling over the sand and dashing through the beach grass seeking safety? Was it a shark sighting? A wild animal on the loose?

No, it was school buses. Big, lumbering, yellow school buses rolling over the beach, ready to fill their empty bellies with kids and haul them back to school.

It was, of course, a commercial for a store that sold clothing and school supplies. It was also a funny take on the feelings that arise as summer dwindles and the first day of school looms ever closer. The ad made me laugh, but it also brought back memories of how I felt when I was a student facing a new school year.

So I called my friend Frank Paonessa, a teacher at St. Raymond High School for Boys in the Bronx, to ask for his take. He’s been teaching for 26 years, and he acknowledged that the prospect of heading back after summer vacation can make students and teachers feel a bit like the folks in that commercial.

And those school buses? “Scarier than a shark,” he said. But he was laughing.

Mostly he talked about the positives. First of all, for teachers and students alike, going back to school means catching up with friends who haven’t seen each other for a while.

“Everyone asks, ‘How was your summer? What did you do?’ ” he said. He remarked that kids often keep in touch during the summer through social media, but that’s a lot different from being together again in class, sports and other activities.

Frank said teachers look forward to seeing their students after the long summer break and getting back to the challenge of helping them learn. Frank teaches science and nutrition to ninth- and 12th-graders, and he’s been working on a new unit for a nutrition and fitness class. He’s eager to see how his lesson plans work out, and how his students react to the new material.

Going back to school is more of an adjustment for some youngsters than for others. Frank remarked that new students, whether they’re entering freshman year or transferring from another school, usually are a bit apprehensive. If they’re new to the school, he advises them to stay calm, follow the rules and realize that it takes time to adjust to a new environment.

Seniors hear a different message. Frank said that he tells them, “You know the do’s and don’ts. You know what you need to do to graduate, to get into the colleges you want to go to.”

And to everyone, he says, “Do your best.”

He advises parents to stay closely involved in their children’s education.

“Be on top of your kids,” he said. “Check their homework. Don’t do it for them, but help them if they need help. Ask them what they’ve done in school today. If you think something is wrong, get in touch with the teacher.”

Frank also talked about the fulfillment of teaching in a Catholic school, where teachers are dedicated to students’ well being not only academically and emotionally, but also spiritually. And although Catholic education isn’t possible for every student, Catholic spirituality is. Parents can make sure that their children are enrolled in religious education classes, or, if the kids are older, that they participate in parish youth activities.

Though there is a certain sorrow in saying goodbye to summer, there’s joy in realizing that the start of the school year, like the autumn itself, is an invigorating invitation to new adventures and opportunities.

Sometimes the first step is boarding that school bus. Don’t let it scare you.