A lot of learning opportunities have been open to students during the summer months in Vicksburg. I don’t know if any local students have earned the right to say they are bored with the options offered to them in Vicksburg.

While maintenance crews and custodians are working to renovate the facilities, students of all ages have been given multiple day-camp possibilities, the latest of which was the Kids in the Kitchen cooking camp hosted by the Southern Cultural Heritage Center and taught by Redwood Elementary School lead teacher Margie Heltzel. With the help of Laura Kidder and Caroline Simrall the camp was a success with the maximum amount of students attending the four-day camp from 8 a.m. to noon where students learned to cook snacks and lunch meals.

The camp was such a success a second session, which is already at maximum capacity, has been added to the schedule in two weeks.

Heltzel said she really feels like she found her calling by mixing her two favorite things, children and cooking. She wants to try to teach this class seasonally to meet the demand.

Students in Warren Central High School’s Navy JROTC are using their summer to get ahead of the game by learning drill and rife last week. The students learned the basics and looked ahead at what is to come during their competition season. The camp gave students who wanted to be on the specific drill and rifle teams a chance to test their skills.

More camps will continue this summer including freshman orientation where upperclassmen guide the new freshman through the basic of NJROTC. These camps are not required of students, but those who do and pass a test advance and get to start out their high school careers with a rank as oppose to those who don’t attend.

Upper class students who have been interested in securing their leadership roles have camps outside of the state to further their skills. Five NJROTC students attended the Navy’s Leadership Academy, six were at Basic Leadership Training and one local Leadership Academy Graduate helped train cadets in Little Rock, Ark. in mid-June. In late July, three students will travel to Anniston, Ala. for Civilian Marksmanship Programs Junior Rifle Camp.

Music lessons are offered at the Conservatory of the Fine Arts year-round even though most lessons stick to the school year schedule. Piano teacher Sheila Hess is teaching a few 30 to 45 minute lessons this summer for students not looking to take a break.

Third grade is the age range Hess said many students start piano lessons and with the school year less than a month away, now could be the time to start looking into securing lessons this fall at the Conservatory.

Even with the school year quickly approaching there is still a little more time left to soak up the summer in Vicksburg.