As Nansemond-Suffolk Academy celebrates its convocation today and students at First Baptist Christian School settle in for their second day of classes of the year, teachers and students from Suffolk Public Schools may very well be glancing at their calendars with a mixture of joy and dread over the figurative Big Red Circle on the calendar that marks Sept. 4, the end of a summer vacation that will seem all too short for some and far too long for others.

Ready or not, though, all of Suffolk’s students — at least those who aren’t homeschooled — will be back in their classes by the day after Labor Day. Having enjoyed one last long weekend with family and friends, those who head to school that morning can be divided into two groups — those who will take advantage of the opportunity they have in America for a top-class, free education and those who ignore the gift placed before them and choose to live only up to society’s low expectations.

For those who grab onto the opportunity and pursue the goal of the true American Dream — a better life than that of those who have gone before them — the path will be full of twists and turns, ruts and potholes. It’s not easy, after all, to achieve a dream. And nothing easily achieved will be long remembered or valued, anyway.

For those who choose the path of simply sliding by in school, things will be much easier for the time being. But the harvest they reap will likely be meager, in proportion to what they sowed during those seemingly carefree days.

It’s especially hard for teenagers to see the reward of the work they do in high school. Good teachers and involved parents help them see the benefits every day and frequently encourage them and praise them for their hard work.

We pray that all of Suffolk’s students will find good teachers and involved parents or other adults who help them learn to make the most of this school year. Good luck to you all.