Summer's Here
Matt Seinberg

This past Wednesday, Melissa graduated from the fifth grade. The Alice Cooper song, “Schools Out for Summer,” came to mind as we left the building. Even though she had a full day on Thursday and one hour on Friday, it felt like school was over that day in the gym.

The last day of school for any kid is always a happy one. I’m sure it’s even better for the teachers, except those who were “excessed,” that is, laid off, due to budget cuts. That’s just a nicer word for being fired or let go, but the related emotions are the same.

One of Melissa’s favorite teachers, Miss Kelly, was “excessed,” again, because she doesn’t have tenure. In this small elementary school, you have to be good to keep your job, unlike in a big school where a teacher could get lost in the crowd.

A few years ago, Michelle was having a hard time in middle school. We saw Miss Kelly at a school concert and got to talking about tutoring. She offered to tutor Michelle, at reduced rate, because Michelle had helped her in the classroom with various after school chores.

Although Melissa did not have Miss Kelly as a teacher, she was there for her to talk to and Melissa helped with the kindergarten class before school. It won’t be the same without Miss Kelly. I truly hope the district finds another place for her in the fall.

When I was a kid, I looked forward to the last day of school as well, knowing that I was going to go to camp, as are my daughters, too. They start this coming week, and they can’t wait! Michelle is once again a CIT, helping with two and 3 year old girls and boys. That’s big change from last year, when she had 7 and 8 year old girls.

Melissa is with 10 and 11 year old girls. They get to take some great field trips, such as fishing, amusement parks and a big local pool. Melissa only goes 3 days a week, so my wife has her on Monday and I have her on Friday. We have to find things to do on those days.

We go to our local town pool, too. We have lunch at home and then spend most of the afternoon at the pool. During the week, it’s nice and quiet. I get to sit in my chair, relax, read and listen to music while Melissa plays in the pool. She is at that age where I don’t have to watch her every minute.

I’ve also talked to her for the last couple of years about going to Splish Splash, a waterpark about 45 minutes east of us in Riverhead. We just have to make sure the weather is going to be good, as it’s expensive to go. We both love waterslides, and can’t wait to go.

What else are we doing this summer? We have a BBQ planned for July 9th, and a cruise vacation for August 20th. Michelle chose not to go and is staying home with her grandparents, where she thinks she is going to live the life of luxury.

We like to cruise and this one is on the “Princess Caribbean,” going to Canada and New England. It’s not an exciting itinerary, but it’s a great chance to get away, relax and have some fun. Our first choice was another trip to the Caribbean, but by the time we were ready to book it, the price went up, and the cabin went down, so that didn’t happen.

So have a good summer, put on plenty of sunscreen, drink plenty of margaritas, and have fun with your friends and family!