Splashing around in water, eating ice cream, riding bicycles,sleeping late, and going on vacation will soon end for students inarea schools.

All area schools will open their doors to students and teachersthis week.

“We had a general faculty meeting this morning, so our teachershave returned and the students will return Wednesday for a fullday,” said Lea Barrett, Brookhaven School District assistantsuperintendent.

Students enrolled at Brookhaven Academy or Lincoln CountySchools have a few extra days to relax, though, before they puttheir best foot forward on a new school year.

“We don’t start until Friday, and it will be a full day ofschool with lunches being served, classes starting and the busesrunning,” Lincoln County Superintendent of Education Perry Millersaid.

Brookhaven Academy students will also make their way back to theclassrooms Friday, but they will not attend a full day.

Elementary students will come in around 8:30 a.m., while highschool students will start around 9:30 a.m., with both groupsexpected to be finished about noon, according to the school’s newheadmaster, Dan Boyce.

Students at Wesson Attendance Center will be seen back in theclassroom Thursday, but almost 2,500 Copiah-Lincoln CommunityCollege students won’t hit the books until Monday, Aug. 13.

Schools officials are putting the finishing touches on schedulesand other loose ends this week. They are all hoping for a safe andproductive year.

“The students may not be quite ready,” Boyce laughed, “but Ithink the faculty is excited about starting a new year.”

School officials hope the public will also try to add to a goodyear by being quiet and driving slow in school zones, plus payingextra attention to students and buses on roadways.

“We’d like to encourage the public to be aware of buses back outon the roads,” Miller mentioned.

Once students step off the big yellow buses this week, they willbe greeted by countless new faces at almost every school in thearea.

“We’re excited to have quite a few new staff members join usthis year,” Barrett said.

Some construction projects over the summer, such as BrookhavenHigh School, new fast pitch softball fields in the county and freshpaint at almost every school, also await students this week.

School officials hope all the changes, mixed with positiveattitudes, will be a great combination for a wonderful schoolyear.