Schools do much more than teach

On a recent trip, my husband and I drove through countryside strewn with farm houses and other dwellings. The places were beautiful, but they seemed so isolated. Some were stationed on high hills away from everyone, others down a long, secluded road. I wondered how these people meet their neighbors. Although most probably worked outside the neighborhood, I wondered about those who stayed. How did they interact with those around them? Then we passed a school -- the parking lot was filled with people. I had my answer.

I realized it's often the community school that ties neighborhoods together. Schools serve many purposes besides teaching students. When families move to a new neighborhood, one of the first institutions they check out is the school. Once the decision is made, schools become the hub around which the family revolves.

Family life revolves around what is happening with children at school. Area youths must adapt a routine of some sort. Before plans are decided upon, people with school-age children consult their calendars to see the school agendas. Is there a ballgame coming up? An art contest or school play? Though it seems commonplace, when you ponder all the activities and ramifications schools are responsible for, the whole concept gives life meaning and structure.

When people reach out and participate in what's going on at the educational institution, they meet other parents and make friends. The same holds true for their children. They learn how to get along in the world socially as well as academically. Homes that once seemed far apart and isolated now have a place where they can be part of the local community. The school atmosphere can become a haven where one feels nourished. People of all ages are sought after and encouraged to participate as volunteers at schools.

As I pondered the contributions schools make, I remembered the abundance of activities and meetings that are held in school buildings each year. Voting in elections is a service schools can and do offer. When someone looks for a place to hold meetings, invite speakers, bands or other valuable attractions, often the local school building is the place that's chosen. Schools are missed when they're no longer a part of the local scene, and towns are seldom the same once the school's gone.

Sometimes, however, it fails to be economical or practical to continue operating a school in your town. It's often better to consolidate with other educational institutions to make one where more people can benefit. Children add new dimensions and enthusiasm to almost everything. If you have ever been a parent or helped raise children, you'll know how much joy and motivation they bring. They're like fresh, sparkling water.

Schools are usually where Boy and Girl Scout troops meet, in addition to numerous other types of youth oriented organizations. For sure, schools provide a nucleus from which awesome successes stem. Although Scripture says nothing about schools as we know them today, the Jews were and still are very literate people. Feeling they are God's chosen people, Jews, especially the males, were expected to learn to read Torah in response to Deuteronomy 6:6-9. Proverbs contain a father's advice to his son about important things to learn in life; so teaching in some form has always been important.

I, for one, have certainly assumed a new respect for schools, as a whole, since I've re-evaluated the contributions they make.

Ellen Shuck holds degrees in psychology, religious education and spiritual direction and provides spiritual direction to people at her office.