As a kid I remember listening to Alice Cooper’s "School’s Out" at the end of the school year. When the childhood anthem came on the radio, we would jump up and down and scream, “School’s out for summer, school’s out forever!”  Now that I am a teacher, I still love singing along at the end of the year and embarrassing myself before cringing students. “No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks.”

I had no idea that teachers were just as eager as their students (if not more so) for the year to come to an end. The last week of school is a crazy week. For youngsters, it’s about turning in projects, signing yearbooks, going to parties, saying good bye, getting closure. For teachers, the last week is also about closure, but we have the added task of cleaning and lots of grading.

Each mother deals with the end of the school year differently. Some send away their children to summer camp or relatives. Other moms cannot live without their kids for long periods of time, but still need to organize their children’s lives with activity. Parents of active children have a lot to choose from in Madison especially if your child likes sports. Still there are some mothers who are quite happy just to have their child home.

If you are looking for some activities for your kids this summer, I strongly suggest MSCR (Madison School and Community Recreation). You can get the summer guide on line. There is something for every interest and every level. For sports clinics check with the UW and local high schools whose sports teams hold clinics for youngsters as a way to raise money. My daughter has done the Spartan Basketball every year for years! 

Summer school is typically for students with academic troubles (GPA lower than a 2.0). High school students have summer school opportunities at Memorial and East. Most students in high school take summer school only if they have failed a course and need to make up the credit. There are a few classes for high school students who are looking for enrichment or to get ahead. For juniors and seniors the ACT/SAT prep course is very good. There is only one week off before summer school starts.  If you are interested, you can check out the information on the district's Web site.

Happy Summer!