North Texas school districts have been going bonkers over when to make up the bad weather days we've had this winter. I have to wonder if it's all that important to make them up at all. I keep seeing items in the newspapers about an assembly for this or an assembly for that or a jump-a-thon or some other such nonsense.
For example, Beth Anderson Elementary School in the Arlington ISD had a "celebration" on a recent Wednesday. It included an appearance by former Dallas Cowboys player Raghib Ismail, group exercises, and a healthy taco-making demonstration. Why is it necessary for kids to make up days filled with such ridiculous "fill-up-the-time" junk? What's the point of going to school to be entertained? The kids can do that at home on their own. Maybe if we took out all that stuff, the kids wouldn't have to attend school any more than 160 days a year, and we'd have plenty of built-in time to make up snow days.
Incidentally, at Beth Anderson they had a contest to see who could take the most steps over the summer. Anaiz Rangel won. She took 6.8 million steps. According to the newspaper, for an average stride, that equals 3,400 miles. If we figure she had 90 days over the summer, that equals almost 38 miles a day. Even if we half that for a child-size stride, that's 19 miles a day. Let's go further and quarter it. We're still looking at better than 9 miles a day. Do you believe that? I have a little difficulty swallowing it.
"These kids were made for walkin'." The Dallas Morning News; February 17, 2011; p. 6B.
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