Дети Юго-Востока завершают лето: от кемпингов до первых шагов в школу

For school-aged kids in the southeast, the final weeks of August bring a mix of holding onto summer and looking ahead to what's next. For some, that means squeezing in one more trip to the beach or playground. For others, it means getting ready for a new grade, a new school, or even their first day of kindergarten. Summer highlights For 12-year-old Elizabeth Klassen of Blumenort, one of the highlights of the summer was a camping trip to St. Malo Beach with her grandparents. Having the beach just steps from the campsite was her favourite part. "I liked that the beach was right by our camping area, so in the morning after breakfast we could just go swimming," Elizabeth says. Her brother Jeremiah also counts tent camping among his favourite parts of the summer. He likes "sleeping outside the house" and being in nature. For 11-year-old Hannah Klassen, the highlight was a week at Bird River Bible Camp. She remembers swimming, pontooning, rock climbing, Nerf games, arts and crafts, and a giant bounce house in the water. "The best part of the camp was waking up every morning and having like the best food I've ever had with my cabin," Hannah says. There was one item that did not make it off Hannah's summer bucket list. She had hoped to launch a small rocket she and her family made a couple of years ago. "Definitely not," she says when asked if she will get it done before summer ends. Five-year-old Evie Collins of La Broquerie has a simpler favourite summer activity: spending time at the playground, especially on the slides. Juliet Martin-Elliott of Steinbach also has a straightforward favourite summer memory: going to the beach. Looking ahead to school The Klassen children are homeschooled, and the new school year is already on their minds. Elizabeth is heading into Grade 8 and is looking forward to trying a new science curriculum. She enjoys science because it gives her opportunities to try different things and, sometimes, make a mess. "I'm really bad at math, so I like science," she says. History remains her favourite subject, though. Jeremiah is not quite as eager to trade summer for school. "I don't like to do it," he says. His biggest concern about Grade 4 is straightforward: "Harder school." Hannah is also looking forward to science in Grade 6, particularly the experiments. "Because you can explode stuff," she says, quickly adding an important qualification: "Like safely explode things." Related Stories: - Pack a Backpack drive aims to support hundreds of local students - Hanover School Division adds seven buses, reminds drivers to watch for students - What’s still on the summer bucket list? New school, new adventures For Evie, this fall will mark her first step into school. The five-year-old is starting kindergarten and says she is feeling happy about it. She has already visited her classroom and is not nervous about the transition. When asked what she is looking forward to, she points to learning her ABCs and numbers. Juliet is heading into Grade 1 and she is feeling good about it, although she says can sometimes be shy at school. She is also preparing for a bigger change. Juliet will be moving to Niverville and starting at a new school in a new town. She says she is looking forward to playing with toys and getting outside to play at the park. Advice for the year ahead As August draws to a close, the children are carrying different summer memories and expectations into the new school year. While they are not all equally excited about returning to school, each has found something to look forward to. Elizabeth has some advice for younger students who might feel the same way about heading back to school. "Have fun. Even if it's hard, like that's a good thing, because that means you're learning."