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Schools
As I reflected on these accomplishments, I began to wonder who among us will be the next Olympic athlete or person on the world stage.
MontvilleTwpSchools, Community Contributor
Every two years, it is exciting to see the top athletes around the world compete in the Olympics and Paralympics during the summer and winter. It is a chance to see the world come together and watch singular events, nations cheer for their athletes, and families show their pride for their loved one in a competition. This summer’s Olympics were especially moving for my family as my daughter’s friend since elementary school, Mitchell Saron, represented the US as a sabre fencer and Tony Award® winner Ali Stroker, who is also from my hometown, and spoke to the Robert R. Lazar Middle School students during this past year’s Living Lessons assembly, sang the USA National Anthem at the Paralympics Closing Ceremony. Knowing two individuals since they were children to now performing on the international stage made the world very small and the Olympics extra special.
As I reflected on these two and their accomplishments, I began to wonder who among us will be the next Olympic athlete or person on the world stage. While there is no magic formula, I believe it comes down to a love of the event, ability to overcome obstacles, passion, and grit - the same characteristics needed to be successful in school.
Montville Township Public Schools started the day after Labor Day this year. Approximately 3,500 students came back to school to start an exciting new year. As I saw the students go about their days, I noticed many similarities to the school day and the Olympics.
An elementary school child starts their day with a hearty breakfast, straps on a weighted backpack, and is ready to go to school. They jump into a car, climb up several stairs to get on a bus, or walk to school – all before 8:00 a.m. – each school day. Once in school, the first of several events begin. Similar to the heptathlon (seven events), students switch each period to a different subject matter. Just like the athletes, some of the subjects come more naturally than the others.
The students work hard and sometimes work up a sweat completing their assignments. Luckily, there are breaks in the day for snacks and water. The long awaited lunchtime splits the day in two. This is when the school’s “Academic Athletes” (students) get to replenish nutrients in order to exert themselves on the playground. When lunch is over, students return to the classroom to finish off the heptathlon. Some may continue with their core subjects (math, science, language arts, social studies) while others may have an elective (art, music, physical education, Spanish). Again, students switch from period to period in order to finish the day. Whew, they made it! Like Olympic athletes, a daily routine dedicated to practice and implementation helps skills, stamina, and achievement grow. For Academic Athletes, this routine of events needs to be completed for 179 more days in order to win the gold and move up to the next grade level.
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The middle and high school routines are not much different from the elementary. However, the event in which these older Academic Athletes compete is more like the decathlon (ten events). Students have eight or nine periods of instruction and typically these students also get involved in a club, sport, art, musical, or theater activity. Their day can last ten hours.
Passing between subjects during the school day is also an event. The ringing of the bell signals the end of a period, but it simultaneously sends a bolt of adrenaline through the students’ bodies as they jump out of their starting blocks (desks or chairs) to enter their next event - the four-minute dash to the next class. Eight hundred middle school students or over one thousand high school students suddenly emerge from classrooms to enter two lanes of traffic going in their direction around the school while another two lanes are moving in the opposite direction. There is sometimes contact in these lanes as students jockey into the best position that will quickly get them to their destination. This four-minute dash has nine heats per day.
In high school, students may opt to take honors or advanced placement classes of certain subject matter. There, each Academic Athlete decides whether to push themselves to another level as they compete against themselves in obtaining more knowledge. Similar to Olympic athletes, each student has strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Students choose the events, or subjects, to which they wish to devote more time, and push themselves to another level to achieve results they did not think possible.
But not every athlete or student has the inclination to pursue a certain event or subject. Nor does every person have exceptional ability in every athletic or subject area. Still, a child who has a preference towards the arts or sciences, will naturally be drawn to a concentration in those subject areas similar to an athlete who is drawn to be a marathon runner or weightlifter. Along the way, both Olympic and Academic Athletes need coaches, teachers, parents, and opportunities to build strength and skill. They need support, encouragement, and a chance to soar on their own in whatever arena they choose.
The Olympics and Paralympics bring out the best in people and nations. We saw triumphs and defeats and with each athlete we felt their joy and pain. Schools are similar in that they are set up to help each child achieve their best and soar to new heights. There will be setbacks and disappointments but this is all part of the learning process. Because, once a child overcomes these temporary setbacks, similar to the athlete’s, they will be able to achieve things they once thought impossible.
Looking at a child, we never know who will be on the international stage. Mitchell loved Star Wars and wanted to fight with a sword while Ali loved theater and singing. Their parents encouraged them to pursue their interests and eventually, after much hard work, setbacks and defeats, they accomplished their dreams and shined like the champions that they are.
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