Archives
 By  Staff Reports news Published 
2:30 am Wednesday, August 7, 2002

School days

By By Thomas Tingle
Record Managing Editor
It's hard to believe that another school year is upon us.
Where did the summer break go?
Gee, it's been a long time since I've been in school and had a summer break.
I have an uncle who teaches school in Texas and two good friends who teach here in Madison County. The other day, my wife and I and our two children were in a store that was filled with mom's filling their shopping carts with school supplies. Our children are in daycare at this time, but Austin will be going into kindergarten next year.
Watching the mom's shop for the things their little one's needed for school brought back a lot of fond memories. I looked at one of the lists and, for the most part, it was the same as what my mom had to get for my sister and I when we were in school – pencils, notebook paper, notebooks, scissors, glue, erasers, markers, etc.
Do students these days have to buy book covers, or do they use brown paper bags like I used to use and could draw all over them during the school year. Oh yeah, I forgot. Unless you ask for paper bags in the grocery store, you get plastic. So, brown paper bags being used for book covers may not be the "thing" today.
At least some things haven't changed since I was in school. During the summer, most of the schools here in Madison received a fresh coat of paint in the hallways, classrooms and restrooms. Most of the paint colors used in schools today are fun, bright and stimulating. I have no idea where the paint was purchased that was used in the hallways of the high school I attended, but they weren't colors you could find in your neighborhood paint store. They must have been reject colors – pea green, burnt orange, mustard yellow. Some of you can remember those colors of choice can't you?
I look forward to the new school year and I look forward to filling the paper full of school news. There is so much going on that it will fill several pages each week.
I would like to remind our schools that we have a Web site and I'll be posting a lot of school-oriented news on the site. If you haven't seen it, check it out at www.themadisonrecord.com. We'll be more than happy to get all of the school information in as fast as we get it.
School days, school days. Dear and golden rule days. Reading and writing and arithmetic.
Is that popular school song still sung today?

Also on The Madison Record
Bob Jones sets individual and team records in state wrestling
A: Main, Madison County Record, News, ...
Runner-up Sparkman gets first girls state champion
STEVE LEE steve@themadisonrecord.com 
February 18, 2026
HUNTSVILLE — Bob Jones set team and individual records in the Alabama High School Athletic Association State Wrestling tournament at the Von Braun Cen...
Madison joins other cities in dismissing lawsuit against state over online tax
A: Main, Business, Madison County Record, ...
STAFF REPORTS staff@themadisonrecord.com 
February 18, 2026
MADISON - The city of Madison has voluntarily dismissed its legal challenge to the state’s handling of the Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT) in a good...
Madison Street Festival awards $30,000 in grants to educational initiatives
A: Main, Lifestyles, Madison County Record, ...
Gregg Parker 
February 18, 2026
MADISON – A long-lasting benefit of Madison Street Festival or MSF is the collection of grant applications and subsequent funding. MSF awarded $30,000...
Bartlett reflects on ‘First 100 Days’ for city leaders in new administration
Madison County Record, News, The Madison Recor, ...
Gregg Parker 
February 18, 2026
MADISON – In her “Madison Weekly” message, Mayor Ranae Bartlett shared a list of activities that she and the current City Council have experienced, in...
Ask Your City’ sessions show behind-the-scenes work of municipal staff
Madison County Record, News, The Madison Recor, ...
Gregg Parker 
February 18, 2026
MADISON – The “Ask Your City” series will debut on Feb. 20 with tours, demonstrations and interaction at Madison’s new Public Safety Annex at 230 Busi...
‘Community Helpers Resource Fair’ to debut on Feb. 28
Events, Madison County Record, News, ...
Gregg Parker 
February 18, 2026
MADISON – An upcoming event will debut to suggest available resources that individuals and families can access. Hosted by Madison Parks and Recreation...
Huntsville Botanical Garden to host Wedding Expo Feb. 22
Events, Lifestyles, Madison County Record, ...
Staff Reports 
February 18, 2026
HUNTSVILLE - Whether you are starting your wedding planning journey, or you are tying up loose ends before the big day, Huntsville Botanical Garden (H...
Broadway Theatre League to present “& JULIET” Feb. 24-March 1
Events, Madison County Record, News, ...
February 18, 2026
Feb. 24 - March 1 • Broadway Theatre League Mark C Smith Concert Hall • broadwaytheatreleague.org Created by the Emmy-winning writer from “Schitt’s Cr...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *