Tonight is the first of three Back-to-School Nights that I'll be attending this year. 
There's no doubt in my mind that, along with an overview of class rules and teacher expectations and a reminder to send in more antibacterial wipes and tissues, the teachers will complain about how much the children have forgotten over the long summer vacation.
In that regard, there's something to be said for year-round school. When I used to teach Spanish in grade schools and high schools, I always had to spend the first month or more reviewing last year's material. As with math and many other subjects, foreign language is a "use it or lose it" thing. Even my second-grader, who's a good reader and who read plenty of books during the summer, lost some of his phonics lessons. Rummaging around in the freezer one day, he discovered a box of some red, white, and blue ice pops.
"Mom, can I have a BOOM pop?"
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