My kids have been loving their first summer camp this week, and I have been loving the time to revise a fiction draft.
When I signed the monkeys up for this particular camp, it seemed like bad timing. It was the only week available for the one they wanted, but I thought… first week out of school? They’re not going to like getting up early and heading out the door.
As it turned out: third week off of school! A perfect time for a morning camp. We’ve spent the rest of the week at the Squamish gondola (where we managed a 12-km hike on Canada Day — ouch), and the Granville Island water park, which was much more relaxing.
As for school, it’s looking more and more over for a while.
It’s hard to know what to make of the conflicting news reports and ridiculous press conferences, but having spent significant time in a public school over the last few years, I find one thing clear: teachers are the glue that’s (barely) holding the place together. The school operating budget doesn’t even cover enough notebooks to last the year, and the PAC raises more money than the official budget provides. If the government is going to chronically underfund public education, they have to expect some crises along the way.
As for a few extra weeks off school in September? Well, I’m in a summer mood now. May it last forever. Plus, my kids will enjoy peeing in our home bathroom rather than the one at school:
There’s a lot to be said for having a decent place to pee.
Wow – that’s even worse that the toilet at my kids’ school! And the excuse for our school is that we only get 50% funding, and lots of this kind of stuff is done by volunteer labour.
Volunteer labour’s not allowed in this case because of union issues. Otherwise, I’d learn how to replace a toilet! Isn’t it disgusting?
You know – replacing a toilet seat is about a 5-minute job. And costs about $15. I think I might just sneak in and replace just the seat myself while the union wasn’t looking.