This week is an exciting week if you’re a student at Athens Jr. High School.  The seventh grade trip to Chattanooga and the eighth grade trip to Atlanta will be Friday, May 21^st.  Traveling to a big city with your classmates is always a fun-filled day.  While these youngsters are on their trips, the freshmen will be having a cook-out and getting ready for their annual Class Night and Prom on Saturday, May 22.  The Class Night begins at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium.  All parents and friends of freshmen are invited to attend.  The Prom begins afterward and is for freshmen and their guests.

Westside’s Sixth Grade Awards Program will be held on Thursday, May 20.  Activities begin at 6:30 in the school gymnasium.  All parents and family members are urged to attend.  On Friday, the “Behavior Party” is scheduled, with fun and games and outdoor slides!  Their Honors Assembly will be held on Thursday, May 27^th at 8:30.

North City’s sixth graders will be having lots of fun at Regional Park.  This will be on Tuesday, May 25^th.  Their “End of the Year” program will be held on Thursday, May 27^th at 9:00 a.m.  Come to the gym, please.

Ingleside will be having its Field Day and Cook-out this Friday, May 21^st.  The 3^rd graders will be having “Water Day” on Monday, May 24^th.   Their Kindergartners will be having “Beach Day” on Tuesday, May 25^th. 

Field Days and Cook-outs are being held today at Westside and North City.  City Park held theirs last Friday.     

Next Wednesday, most schools will be holding Awards Assemblies.  Athens Jr. High’s will be at 9:00 a.m.  City Park Awards will be given at 1:30.  Ingleside will be giving their awards at 2:30.  North City‘s Honor Roll Assembly is at 9 a.m. 

Athens Jr. High will end its school year with Field Day on Thursday, May 27^th. 

Parents:  Don’t forget that Thursday, May 27^th will be an Abbreviated Day, with AJHS dismissing at 11:45 and other sites dismissing at 12:20.  Kids’ Connection will be closed on Friday, May 28^th at all sites.

Please join the Athens City Schools’ Board of Education as they honor Dr. Craig Rigell on Sunday, May 23^rd.  As you probably have heard, Dr. Rigell is retiring after ten years of service to our community and our children.  The reception is from 2-4 p.m. and will be held in the Athens Jr. High School Library.  We look forward to seeing many of you there.

As this year winds down in a flurry of activities, we all look forward to the summer break.  As a child, my summer seemed chocked full of playing outside, bike riding, catching lightening bugs, vacation with family and friends, and reading lots of books.  Family trips to visit relatives were part of the summer’s activities – you know, those relatives you saw only once a year.  My mom canned the abundant fruits and veggies of summer for us to enjoy in the fall and winter to follow.  Those were really happy times.  I hope for you and yours that you’re building those memories of a family fun-filled summer for 2010. 

I’ll be signing off with today’s column, but I’ll be back in the fall!