School days, school days

School days, school days, dear old golden rule days.

I've been a little nostalgic about my own school days lately. After a weekend trip to Bed Bath & Beyond where soon-to-be college freshmen were stocking up on twin-sized sheets and mini fridges, I couldn't help but smile thinking back on those wildly delicious days leading up to college. It felt like the whole world was opening up to me.

Now, I'm nearer to my daughter's first day of kindergarten than I am to my own first day as a college co-ed. But, whether you're 5 or 18, there's something exhilarating about the first day of school.

But, what about when your home room is a hospital bed? And that perfect first-day-of-school outfit is a backless gown? Jordan Ngyuen is one of a few patients at Children's Medical Center who started class with a hospital-based teacher yesterday. This was Jordan's first day of 6th grade:



School probably isn't the first thing a parent thinks of when their child is injured or ill, but what a relief that someone is thinking about the reading, writing and 'rithmetic that keeps a child up-to-speed with his curriculm and adds some normalcy to his day. Some patients just need a tutor while they're at Children's for a procedure. Others, like Jordan who know they'll be in the hospital for weeks or even months, enroll in Dallas ISD and work with a teacher to keep up with their school work.

So, Jordan didn't get to ride the bus with his buds yesterday, and that's a bummer for any 12-year-old. But he did start stuyding for the TAKS test. And that means he's one step closer to his real, normal 6th grade life. And that's pretty exhilarating, too.