While most Memphis City Schools students reported for classes on the first day, Aug. 9, as many as 12 percent of the district’s pupils took their own sweet time showing up.

MCS reports that on Aug. 13, there were 92,378 students registered in K-12. By Aug. 31 that number had grown to 104,810.

It wasn’t a fluke. Numbers from 2009 show that by the fifth day of school 95,220 students were enrolled, a number that swelled to 105,685 on the 17th day.

Students will continue to “trickle in” after Labor Day, said Bill White, director of school choice and student accounting.

“It’s important to realize that the vast majority of our kids start on the first day,” White said. “But it is concerning that we have at least a few thousand apparently who take their time to some degree.”

Supt. Kriner Cash mentioned late starters at a recent school board meeting. He reported that parents who saw him out in public asked him when school was starting.

“It already had,” White said.

Some students hadn’t been counted on time because of slow data entries by MCS, White said, but the majority just didn’t register.

“I really don’t understand it,” he said. “I think it speaks in some situations to the lack of seriousness and commitment to education.”

School really does start on the first day, White said.

“We really do hit the ground running the first day,” he said. “So the students who do stay out until Labor Day, they’ve missed approximately 20 days of instruction.”

Those who dribble in also cause problems for students enrolled on time.

When classrooms are at legal capacity, the late arrivals can make it necessary to create new classes, requiring the on-time students to switch classes and teachers.

There has been speculation that some parents keep kids out of school because they don’t have uniforms.

“We have plenty of resources to help those parents with that situation,” White said. “So I would hope parents would not feel like they can’t get their children enrolled because of that.”

Late enrollment isn’t a problem with Shelby County Schools, where 99 percent of the expected students enrolled on the first day, said spokesman Mike Tebbe.

Save Tennessee Summers, part of a national movement called the Coalition for a Traditional School Year, supports a later start to the school year. But the grassroots organization wants it clear that it doesn’t support parents who keep their children out of school.

“You may disagree with something, but as parents we have to teach our children the right way in making change,” said national spokeswoman Tina Bruno. “And keeping your child out of the classroom is not one of them.”

MCS classes used to start later in August. But now that all the schools are air-conditioned, the need to finish the first semester in time for winter break and build adequate time in the school calendar for mandatory testing has led to an earlier school start, said spokeswoman Staci Franklin.

Bruno’s group believes none of those are valid reasons to send children to school in early August, when it’s expensive to cool the buildings.

The coalition says independent research shows that children in states with later start dates have higher mandatory test scores.

“The academic benefits that I can see is that the first couple of weeks they’re not focusing because it’s too hot,” said Deanna Walls, a local supporter of Save Tennessee Summers. The heat kept her two children, in kindergarten and first grade, inside all day at school without recess, she said.

“But I would never, ever think about holding them out of school because I didn’t like the start date. It is kind of crazy,” Walls said.

Students who don’t begin school on time can be considered truant and their parents could be sent to Juvenile Court, White said.

Frayser mom Tina Wells says the parents of late starters are negligent and should face charges.

“Our responsibility is to enroll our kids and send them to school,” said Wells, who has a 16-year-old in high school. “Our kids’ part is to go to school and learn to try to be better citizens in the world.”

When parents drop the ball?

“The ball should be dropped on the parents,” she said.

Join the Sierra Club tonight as David Shiffman, master of science in marine biology candidate, talks about the ecological and economic importance of sharks, threats they face, and how you can help. The event begins at 7:00 in MUSC’s Baruch auditorium on Calhoun Street.

Also, be sure to follow David as he continues his study of shark biology, ecology, and conservation. He actively writes for Southern Fried Science; his most recent article is on a loggerhead sea turtle necropsy. You can also follow him on Twitter.

The Chronicle of Higher Education shared with graduate students tips on how to get the most out of your academic career. This open letter to graduate students encourages you to network productively within your field, but I also encourage you to expand your horizons and get to know others in your local community.

This week is full of opportunities for you to meet students from other programs and professionals of the Lowcountry.

Tuesday, the Social Media Club Charleston is hosting their Summer Social at Taco Boy Downtown. It also happens to be at the same time and in the same place as the AdFed membership drive.

Join the Charleston Young Professionals on Wednesday at O’Brion’s on James Island for their monthly networking event.

The first Graduate Student Association meeting of the semester is at 5:30 on Friday in room 409 of the Stern Center on campus. Everyone is invited to attend and let their voice be heard. Then, join us for the annual Kick-Off event at 5:30 on Saturday. We’ll be outside at the Ft. Johnson Outdoor Classroom on James Island. It’s always a great time, and a great way to start your semester.

For more ideas on things to do, pick up a copy of The Post & Courier, The Charleston City Paper, Skirt! Magazine, or any other publication usually found in a coffee shop, on a street corner, in your gym, at a restaurant, or any other public venue.

This is the fifth and final installment of Tiffany Dixon’s (M.Ed.- Languages) travel journal of her time studying abroad in Trujillo, Spain. She’s seen some amazing historical sites, danced until she dropped in a discoteca, and even dipped her toes in “the other side of the Atlantic” in Portugal. Now that she’s at her journey’s end, she and Tommy la Tortuguita (her terrapin travel companion)  are taking a moment to reflect about their life-changing experiences. In case you haven’t been following her adventures, be sure to catch up now, and then read the exciting conclusion below:

During my last week in España, I finished my research paper and took two final exams all in a matter of three days.  While we were all stressing out, I knew I could handle the extra work load because I had learned from both my undergraduate and graduate experiences how to pace myself throughout the term in order to avoid a breakdown in the end!  I was very pleased with how my research findings had come together.  Also, I was very happy about meeting all of the new people I had interviewed, some of whom I had made friends with, spent time with, and would remain in contact.

Most nights I could not hang when it came to partying like a Spaniard, but the night we finished all of our exams I did!  We danced all night long and made it home just before the sun came up.  The discotecas in Trujillo, and Spain in general, are very safe.  Most people do not start to go out until around midnight.  When my friends and I arrived around 9 or 10 o’clock, the discotecas were almost empty.  That night we had a blast celebrating all of our hard work.  I was very tired the next day.  When you come home from a night out in Spain instead of saying you got in very late last night, they will say you got in very early.  The late, or “early,” night life was so common that even my host parents stayed out late when they went over to a friend’s house for dinner the next night.

The day after our exams was Saturday.  Surprisingly, I got up very early, walked around the city one last time, told my new friends goodbye, and spent the rest of the day with my family.  My host sisters and I took part in my favorite past time–singing songs in Spanish on their “Rock Star” Nintendo Wii gaming system.  The next morning it was time to say good bye to our families before we made our way to Toledo, Segovia, Madrid, and finally the USA!!!  This was a very sad occasion.  I miss my host family very much, but will always keep in touch with them.

As we visited Toledo, our fantastic bus driver, Carlos, dropped us off at the base of Las escaleras mecánicas (mechanical stairs).  After visiting a cathedral we ventured off around the city where I did a lot of shopping (well, mostly window shopping).  I purchased a few pieces of gold inlay or damasquina jewelry, for which Toledo is famous, for some of my family.

Next, we went to Segovia where we visited the Alcázar of Segovia.  Alcázar is the Arabic word for castle.  It is said that this castle is the inspiration behind the one in Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and the symbol often used for Disney productions.  The Alcázar was absolutely gorgeous!  This castle was where King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella lived for many years while the royal court of Spain was in Segovia before it was moved to Madrid.  We saw many important rooms that were a part of the Catholic Monarchs lives, such as the Coronation of Queen Isabella, the Throne Room, and the Armory Room.

For our last few days in Spain, we travelled to Madrid. While there, we were able to do a lot of walking around the city and catch the subway.  We went to the Plaza Mayor, or Main Square, and did a little bit of shopping in stores like El Corte Inglés, a huge department store that features many different stores in one.  For example, there is a grocery store, several department stores (like Belk or Dillards), a home improvement store (like Home Depot), and several upscale boutiques including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci.  With that being said, it is definitely possible to go there and complete all of your errands without having to go to a separate building.

We also visited the Prado and Reina Sofía museums, where we saw many pieces of art work that we had studied in class.  Unfortunately, we were not able to take many pictures in the museums.  When we got to the Reina Sofía (“Queen Sofia”) museum, named after the current queen of Spain and wife of King Juan Carlos I, we saw Guernica by Pablo Picasso.  This painting is a depiction of the devastation in this city of the same name, located in the Basque Country (País Vasco) in northern Spain, after a bombing on April 26, 1937 during the Civil War.  The Spanish Civil War lasted from 1936 to 1939 and resulted in a more than 30-year dictatorship under General Francisco Franco.  I know you are thinking that since classes have ended and we are in the midst of travelling before we depart for the United States that we did not have any work to do, right?  Wrong!  We had a paper about Guernica, which was due to our professors the evening before our flight home.  This gives real meaning to the term study abroad.  But, who would mind studying when you’re doing so in the midst of such wonderful sights?

To me, family is most important.  I had very mixed emotions about coming home.  On one hand, I was very sad because I knew that I was officially leaving my new family that I had come to love over these last 5 weeks.  On the other hand, I was very excited to see my office family whose warm smiles, hugs, and personalities I had missed very much.  Best of all, I was overjoyed and could not wait to get back to all of my family that have loved and cared for me all of my life!  Pictures in Spain just wouldn’t do!!  Finally, I mentioned during Week 1’s blog that my very good friend Amber had compiled letters from various family and friends to remind me of home.  I opened one letter each week when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with my studies, got frustrated because I was lost in the city, or just needed a pick-me-up.  The letters were from my mother, sister, and coworkers/friends, including Amber.  These letters were filled with pictures and words of encouragement that reminded me of home and/or made me laugh.  Also, being able to e-mail and call my family while I was abroad was so special to me.  All of this really touched my heart!  I am so happy to know that I both came home to and have a family abroad that really care.  This is a big part of what makes life worth living.

After I returned home, Spain made it into the finals of the World Cup.  The day of the final match against the Netherlands, I wore a shirt I had purchased in Spain that said España, and I put up the Spanish flag in hopes that they would win.  Also, I chanted the following:

“¡Ganó España, ganó España-La Copa Mundial…son los campeones! (Spain won! Spain won-The World Cup! They are the champs!)

P.S. from Tommy la Tortuguita:

Before we began this trip my previous owner told Tiffany that I like sunny days and strawberries.  Fortunately, we experienced many bright and sun shiny days in Spain.  Some days I even had to stay inside of my shell because it was so hot!  However, I did poke my head out for the important attractions like the Roman ruins in Mérida, La Alhambra in Granada, the cathedral in Sevilla, and the Reina Sofía museum in Madrid.  Now, I was a little unhappy about the lack of strawberries on the trip!  When we went to the feria (weekly market) one time they were selling fresas (strawberries) and Tiffany wouldn’t buy me any.  Also, her host mom made a delicious strawberry and yogurt treat of which I partook none!  She did redeem herself when she shared some of her chocolate cake topped with strawberries, also made by her host mom.  It was yummy!  Despite the fact that I was deprived my favorite fruit, Tiffany was a great travel companion.  She took lots of pictures which I facebooked so all my other “shell-tured” friends could see my fabulous life.  “Shell-tured,” get it?  Sometimes I crack myself up!!  Anyway, I enjoyed visiting Spain and will definitely return with her in the future. ¡Hasta luego!

School starts today, and boy are we ready for it here in the GSO. We welcomed new graduate students to campus on Saturday, which happened to also be move-in day for the undergraduates living in the dorms. Needless to say, it was a busy morning on the bricks that canvass the College of Charleston campus. Yesterday afternoon marked the beginning of the semester with Convocation in the Carolina First Arena. From here, new friendships will be made, papers published, and highlighters will run dry. Countless pots of coffee will be brewed, and I’m sure several hours of sleep will be sacrificed. Some students will be part-time, balancing other obligations such as work or family. Others will take a full load of courses and quite possibly balance multiple campuses.  As you prepare for the semester ahead, we wish you the best of luck and remind you that The Graduate School staff is here to help you succeed. Feel free to send us emails or reach us through Twitter or Facebook.