Back to school, back to basics

School starts this week for most students in the Mat-Su Valley, which means many bleary-eyed youths will get a rude awakening from their summer slumbers come Monday morning.

Aside from the early wake-up calls, the first day of school is always an exciting time for kids and parents alike. For children, it’s a time to show off new clothes, make new friends, explore new hallways and dig into a fresh curriculum. For parents, the annual autumn rite often signals a return to the normalcy and predictability that’s built around the ebb and flow of their children’s scholastic calendar.

For teachers, it’s time to get back to the chalkboard (OK, it’s probably a touch screen these days) and back to the laudable work of preparing the next generation of young people for entry into the “real world.”

With the return of the school year, it’s important to keep in mind that some things will definitely change on area roads. Mornings will be busier as buses and high school students take to the streets. There will also be many more kids out walking, both in the mornings and afternoons, whether heading to and from school, or waiting at the bus stop.

This is also the time of year when we begin to lose daylight hours, meaning drivers should be doubly careful out there. Although it’s always important to keep a watchful and attentive eye on the road, now that school is in session, it’s even more so. Children are the most precious resource we have. So safe driving is paramount to ensuring our community remains a healthy and positive place to live, work and learn.

Drivers should also be mindful of altered traffic patterns around Palmer High, Colony High and Colony Middle schools. The Mat-Su Borough School District notes that roundabout construction near Colony means the middle school’s driveway will serve as both an exit and entrance.

At Colony High, students and parents dropping off students should use the new entrance on North 49th State Street, north of the existing service entrance. Buses will be using the service entrance to enter and exit the school.

At Palmer High, the parking lot can be accessed from either Hemmer Road, off the Palmer-Wasilla Highway, or via Arctic Avenue, coming off the Glenn Highway. Arctic Avenue will be open on Monday.

School officials are asking for extra patience as people learn the temporary traffic patterns. It’s best to keep in mind that the road construction will eventually lead to a safer, more efficient transportation system for all users.

We’d like to extend our best wishes to all students, teachers and parents in the Valley who are returning to the daily grind of the school year. And a special welcome to all involved with our newest school, Redington Jr./Sr. High.

There’s nothing more important to a community and its future than its schools. Here’s hoping the 2015-16 year is a safe, happy and productive one for all.

And for those students already looking forward to next summer, that last day of school is only nine short months away.