Ahhhh, summer. One of my favorite times as a kid. Growing up in Elmore, I vividly remember the bike rides I took with my best friend Mindy, the summer softball practice from 1-3 every afternoon in the scorching sun, and who can forget taking a dip in Woods Lake. Yes, summer. The best time for any school-age kid. This year, I have no doubt summer has taken on a whole new special meaning for kids. Back in March, schools were forced to close out of necessity to help mitigate the spread of COVID19. The Governor issued a Stay at Home order. And just like that, our social contact with families and friends came to a screeching halt. 

But now, here we are in summer and are beginning to see things slowly open up. And, because of that - I want to share with you how important it is to take advantage of the opportunities provided in our communities to get out and be active. City parks are once again open and allow children to run, climb, slide, and squeal with delight as they take advantage of what we call free play. The swimming pools in Blue Earth and Winnebago opened up for children to play and socialize as they swim. Area libraries are once again opening up and available for curious children to explore, read, and use their imaginations. I cannot stress enough how important it is - this summer more than ever - to take advantage of these opportunities for your child. 

BEA Community Education is also here to help. Typically, June, July, and August will be jam packed with Community Education opportunities for children and adults alike. However, like everything else, COVID19 impacted this as well. We are finally, though, beginning to see more and more classes offered! I’m so excited to be sharing with you all that our Community Education has a nice selection of classes that may fit your summer schedules! Check out the Community Education calendar here. Or, to register for classes, click here. While a little lighter on offerings than other summers, we are thrilled to be offering our students the following opportunities this summer: Boys Tee Ball Camp, Girls Tee Ball Camp, Tennis Camp, Yard Games, Junior Chefs, Golf Clinic, Snack Attack, Growing with Agronomy, The Power of STEAM, Edison the Robot, and the following Virtual Activities: Prairie Ecology Bus Wiggle with Worms and Explosive Experiments, and Young Rembrandts On-Demand Drawing Classes including The Colorful World of Nature, Hungry for Art, and Bringing Colorful Pets Home. 

The most commonly asked question I received from parents this last Spring was “What will distance learning do to the academic progress of my child?” My response was always the same: every child across the United States was in this same boat. Everyone is progressing at a slower rate due to Distance Learning. But just as important as the academic progress of our students is the social-emotional learning, and that definitely took a hit when we were in our necessary Stay at Home order. But now, now we can do something to help our children. Enrolling them in a Community Ed class can help not only their academics, but also their social-emotional learning. They get an opportunity to interact and socialize with other children. And of course, all our classes are taking all the necessary precautions to keep everyone safe during this trying time. Health and Safety protocols are in place and will continue to be followed per the MDH and CDC recommendations. 

If you find that the courses offered through Community Ed do not work with your schedule, I encourage you to take your child to the library, or find a good book and take it to the park to read. Read as much and as often as you can to your child as that is the best way to keep them learning and using their imaginations this summer. Whatever your summer plans, remember that this is what our children look forward to, these hot, summer days - and this year, we have a little making up to do from the circumstances this last spring. Our children deserve it.