Lights On summer fun

Dynamite, zip lines, flying pigs and marshlands aren’t found in the typical classroom scene, but they all help make up the summer’s Lights On programs. Though the school year’s over, it doesn’t mean the learning has to come to a complete end. The Lights On program is providing plenty of opportunity for students of all ages.

Program Coordinator Jenny Davis noted Thermopolis Middle School students are currently in the middle of their Summer Camp, while those at Ralph Witters Elementary are doing Adventure Camp.

The programs run Mondays through Thursday in two three-week sessions. Activities for each week are based around central themes such as dinosaurs or cooking, with Thursday field trips to build on what the students learned. Each week also includes days for swimming, and movies also based on the theme, and newsletters are sent out ahead of time to make sure kids and parents know what they will be doing and what they need to bring.

While many of the activities are fun, Davis pointed out there are also academic hours from 12-1 p.m. Monday through Wednesday to help students re-enforce and retain their Math and Reading knowledge through the summer.

The district also has a food program that provides students with meals — even lunches on field trips.

Additional camps this summer for incoming 5th-8th graders include Maker Space July 6-8, Ropes July 6-8 and the Robotics Aug. 15-18. Family nights are also planned for the summer, with the first at Ralph Witters Elementary June 20 beginning at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to the family night, which will include an interactive book walk and some backyard bingo.

For high school students, the Green Construction, June 13-30, provides some experience designed a real job model. Students check in and out daily, and receive a drug test during the beginning of the course. Workdays are 7 a.m.-5p.m. with a 30-minute lunch break. Students will receive training/certification for CPR, first aid and OSHA, and earn a tool belt with tools and a weekly stipend of $100 — $25 per day.

The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course for students 16 and up begins June 27, and requires a time commitment of 64 hours seat time and 16 hours of clinicals, both of which there is plenty opportunity to fill during the course’s calendar through July and early August. Core functions of a CNA include bathing and dressing patients, taking vital signs, providing and emptying bedpans, collecting information, answering patient calls, and lifting or repositioning patients as needed.

Students are still welcome to join the camps or programs. Contact Davis at 921-1503, 864-6592 or email at jdavis@hotsprings1.org for more information or to sign up.

TMS Summer Camp activities

Session 1, June 13-30

June 13-16, The Amazing Maze Runner: Monday — Make Your Own Maze Activities, movie Percy Jackson; Tuesday — Design, Build and Run a Human-Size Maze; Wednesday — Swimming at Star Plunge; Thursday — Amazing Race Around Town

June 20-23, Belly Pleasers: Monday — “Chopped” Menu Prep Activities, movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs II; Tuesday — “Chopped Video Production Cook-Off; Wednesday — Swimming at Taylor Pond; Thursday — field trip to Red Reflet Ranch Cooking School and Ten Sleep Splash Park

June 27-30, The Sky is the Limit: Monday — Hot Air Balloon Activities, movie Oz The Great and Powerful; Tuesday — Hot Air Balloons, Rockets and All About the Stars; Wednesday — Swimming at Boysen Reservoir; Friday — field trip to Wind River Heritage Museum and Riverton Hot Air Balloon

Session 2, June 11-28

July 11-13, The Rube Goldberg Survivor: Monday — Rube Goldberg Simple Activities, movie Robots; Tuesday — Survival, Contraptions and DIY Kits; Wednesday — Swimming at Star Plunge; Thursday — field trip to Sleeping Giant Zip Line

July 18-21, All Things Natural: Monday —Around the Yard Nature Activities, movie Bee Movie; Tuesday — Nature Activities; Wednesday — Swimming at Boysen Reservoir; Thursday — field trip to Bryant Honey Farm and Hurricane Lanes

July 25-28, Mythbusters: Monday — Mini Myth Busters Activities, movie Back to the Future; Tuesday — Myth Buster with Watermelon, Pringles, and Dry Ice and Fire; Wednesday — Swimming at Star Plunge; Thursday — field trip to Jackson Hole and Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum

Ralph Witters Elementary

Adventure Camp schedule

Session 1, June 13-30

June 13-16, Dinos Galore: Monday — Dino Silhouettes, Dino Heights, I Spy Dinosaurs, Egg Carton Hats and Cookie Excavation; Tuesday — Swimming at Teepe Pools; Wednesday — Movie The Good Dinosaur; Thursday — field trip to the Wyoming Dinosaur Center

June 20-23, Spangler Science: Monday — Dry Ice Smoke Rings, Egg Yolk Seperation, Soda Can Jump, Straw Through a Potato and Heavy Newspaper; Tuesday — Lake Day; Wednesday — Movie Kung Fu Panda 3, with Hovercrafts activity after; Thursday — field trip to Sinks Canyon

June 27-30, Secret Agent Spy School: Monday — Spy Badges, Spy Code Names, Codes/Cyphers and Top Secret Service Mission; Tuesday — Lake Day; Wednesday — Movie Spy Kids 3 with Mission Impossible Training Course after; Thursday — field trip including Nic Museum, Wagon Wheel and Roller Skating

Session 2, July 11-28

July 11-14, Wyoming Adventures: Monday — County Museum Tour, Roping, Felting, Brand Design and Exploring Local Wyoming Brands; Tuesday — Swimming at Star Plunge; Wednesday — Movie Peanuts with Stick Horse Racing after; Thursday — field trip to South Pass City

July 18-21, Animal Planet: Monday — What if You Had Animal Teeth, Create an Animal, Food Web, Animal Adaptations and Animal Noises; Tuesday — Lake Day; Wednesday — Movie Zootopia with Animal Impressions after; Thursday — field trip to Billings Reef Water, Zoo Montana

July 25-28, Blast Off: Monday — Constellation Hunt, Balloon Rockets, Constellation Viewer, Space Helmets, Paper Straw Rockets and Galax Dough; Tuesday — Swimming at Teepe Pool; Wednesday — Movie Norm of the North with Pom Pom Noodle Launcher after; Thursday — field trip to Planetarium, Mini Golf in Casper