Just Sayin': New school year, childhood cancer, cat killed

Motivate students as school year begins

I was disappointed enough to send this letter. My friend’s grandson entered 10th grade this school year at Sachem High School. On the first day of his first chemistry class, the teacher announced that chemistry was even harder than earth science. Terrible preview, I thought, as did my friend.

This was his teacher’s opportunity to “sell” the subject, to get students motivated and interested. You know, it’s about first impressions. The teacher will get another chance to sell the subject — to parents on “Meet the Teacher Night.”

I hope most teachers try to “sell” their subjects and motivate their students.

 — Jan Huml, Bohemia

These are facts about children with cancer

As the mother of a pediatric cancer survivor, I’m noting that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in children ages 1-14, and it is estimated 9,910 new cases in children under the age of 15 will be diagnosed this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Although cases have been considered stabilized between 2010-2019, rates have still increased by 1% per year.

Luckily, deaths have decreased by over 50% from 1970 to 2020 due to new medical advances and new clinical trials. Yet about 1,040 children under the age of 15 are expected to die from cancer in 2023.

More than 80% of children treated for cancer are considered long-term survivors, living at least five years after treatment.

However, they often are plagued for the balance of their lives with health issues such as secondary cancers, infertility, heart disease and learning issues, all due to the therapies used to prolong and save their lives. Even obtaining medical care and medical insurance as they age into adulthood are often challenging.

People should be made aware of all this.

 — Vicki Appel, Massapequa Park

Driver who killed my cat didn’t even stop

This letter is to the person who hit and killed my cat on Sycamore Circle in Stony Brook early one morning. We all know that animals dart out into the road. But you never attempted to slow down. You never tried to help or to contact me. You hit her so hard that I clearly heard it from my backyard.

You knew she came out of my driveway, which is where she was seconds before she went into the street. You never stopped to let us know what had happened.

I was there in seconds, picking her up and summoning my wife. Your car was already out of sight. As we drove to the vet, I knew she had no chance of survival, and I prayed I would feel her breathing stop so she would be out of pain. I guess this meant nothing to you, the thought never entering your mind.

In that moment, you tore a piece of our family from us, and it didn’t matter to you. You may not be an animal lover, but many of us are, and we love our pets dearly.

 — Robert Broder, Stony Brook