The ‘ back to school ’ experience has changed a lot over the years
By Christopher Harris CJ Magazine Editor
This August 10 , kids all over Pulaski County will be going back to school for the first day of classes .
They do so in an educational environment that ’ s very different from the one I knew when I was in school .
I graduated high school a year before the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton , Colorado , which was the event that really put a focus on school safety .
I went back to visit my old friends and teachers , much the same way my older friends had often done , and found that I wasn ’ t welcome in Somerset High School , as I wasn ’ t a student there . I wasn ’ t free to roam the halls at will ; things had changed . And they ’ ve only changed more since then . When you do a back to school story in 2022 , the topic of school safety is unavoidable . So is the spectre of COVID-19 , which interrupted normal student life for the last few years in a multitude of different ways .
It ’ s unfortunate that this is the world we live in now . I don ’ t know firsthand what parents and kids have to go through in today ’ s school life . I do know that all the education professionals I know are dedicated to doing the best job they can under increasingly difficult circumstances . I think we can all be grateful here in Pulaski County for having the leadership that we do in all of our local schools .
I talked to the superintendents of the three public districts in Pulaski County for this edition to get their thoughts on the 2022-23 school year and an update on their response to some of the most talked-about issues facing schools today .
There ’ s also information in this edition about sports physicals , immunizations , and other things that parents might find helpful in getting ready for the new school year .
Of course , education never ends in life , even after school . Our correspondent Olyvia Neal , currently a student at Morehead State University , took a trip to Europe this summer and expanded her horizons , immersing herself in other cultures , and making memories that will last a lifetime .
Neal also did a profile piece on one of Pulaski ’ s fine teachers , Kaitlyn Mullins , who inspires others to share her love of great literature . Just another example of the kind of educator we ’ re lucky to have here in this area .
This edition of Southeast Kentucky Magazine also features the special relationship between SPEDA President Chris Girdler and his daughter behind the controls of an airplane ; a preview of the community ’ s upcoming air show ; an artist spotlight on “ Bean ” Bullock , that rare combination of tattoo artist and city councilor ; and more .
It may be the kids who are going back to school , but I hope we all remember to keep trying to learn , to better ourselves , to absorb more information and gain a better perspective on the world around us . Picking up this copy of SEKY Magazine is a good start .
August 2022 SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky • 5