Set That Alarm: School is Back On

They’ve gone to Six Flags, ball games and the beach during the summer.

And now, after a stormy weekend and a two-day delay, the three sons of Beth Sandakly are going back to school.

She has a son in each school level. Jacob, 14, will be a freshman at

Omar, 12, will be a seventh grader at

Sami, 9, will be entering fourth grade at

“I’d have been happier if they had gone to school on Monday’’ as had been scheduled, Beth said. She and my other parents she knows had made plans and scheduled activities based on the Monday return date.

But no one can control a storm and its aftermath, she said. “It is what it is,’’ she said. “You can’t change the weather.’’

Jacob Sandakly, 14, will begin his high school career tomorrow. Although he enjoyed the chance to sleep in a few extra days, he said he is glad the “never-ending summer’’ will, finally, end.

“I’m pretty nervous,’’ he said. “I’m in all honors classes and I’m not sure how I’m going to fit everything in and get all the homework done.’’

Omar will miss sleeping in and having nights without homework. But he is looking forward to returning to classes because the summer “kind of hurts my social life because I don’t really get to see my friends.’’

Sami looks forward to a break from the end-of-summer boredom. The stormy weekend was a tough one, he said. “You can’t go to the beach in a hurricane,’’ he said.

For the entire school system, this year will usher in significant changes, with new principals at three schools and a new superintendent of schools.

Change can be unsettling, Beth said. “You get comfortable when you know everyone,’’ she said.

“But on the other side, it’s great to have new people in town, it’s great to have changes. Change is inevitable.’’

And next year, with a new high school and middle school, change will be even higher on the agenda.

“We try to take a positive attitude about everything. We look forward to working with them and helping them make these changes,’’ she said.