Curiously, kids, parents’ views differ on school

Like many North Idaho teens, Tim Elder would do just about anything to stretch summer break.

He’d even suffer a real break. Or two.

“I’m trying to break my right arm so I don’t have to write,” the 13-year-old joked as he skated with friends at the Post Falls Skate Park on Monday. “Maybe I’ll break both my arms so I don’t have to go to school.”

Barring any broken bones, the Post Falls Middle School student will return to school today. For thousands of North Idaho students, classes begin this morning. Some are more ready than others.

Dylan Kane spent Monday at the skate park, too, just like he had most every other day this summer.

The 12-year-old is making the transition from elementary to middle school – a change that brings both excitement and trepidation.

“It’s sixth grade,” he said. “It’ll probably be cool, but the first day will probably be creepy.”

One of his friends immediately cracked a joke about being at the bottom of the food chain.

Kristina Andrianu has been prepping for her first day of junior high by getting up at 6:30 every morning. Like Kane, she had mixed emotions about returning to school: “Between excited and nervous.”

To celebrate the end of summer, mother Galina Andrianu had taken Kristina and her two other children to The Coeur d’Alene Resort to swim and relax in the Jacuzzi.

Monday afternoon, they went to Wal-Mart to finish shopping for school supplies.

The aisles of school supplies at the Post Falls store were barely navigable, as parents scoured lists and filled carts with 5-cent folders, loose-leaf paper, pens and pencils.

An elderly woman mistakenly turned down the aisle and was trapped.

“This is a busy place today,” she said as she finally steered her cart free.

Mother-of-three Christina Froese could hardly find words to explain how she felt about the end of summer (“Excited.” “Thrilled.”) and what the first day of school meant for her (“Quiet.”). But before Froese could send the kids off to school and enjoy some time to herself, she had three different lists of school supplies to purchase.

“If you have more than one child, it can be hard,” Froese said. “I’m having to keep my eyes on three lists.”

She took a pen and scratched items off the lists one by one. She was being careful not to miss anything, she explained.

“I don’t want to have to come down this aisle again.”