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By Claire Reinthaler

For the Clemmons Courier

With the last day of the 2023-24 school year just one night’s sleep away, the Titans are ready to swing into summer. With the earlier start to the 2024-25 school year, West students are making the most of the time they have to work with this summer break.

Summer jobs

For many older West students, time off of school over the summer means more time to work their jobs and make a little extra money. Many students also have seasonal jobs like lifeguarding or working summer camps that are a substantial part of their summer experience. For students who are still looking for a job to keep them occupied over the break, it’s not too late. Many local stores and restaurants are still hiring for the summer, with many options for flexible hours.

School trips

While school itself is almost out of session, some West students and teachers will still be spending time with their peers over the summer. There are multiple trips abroad offered through programs like WorldStrides through the school each summer, with this year’s offerings including places like England, France and Italy. These trips are an exciting way for students in foreign language classes to experience the language they’re learning firsthand or just experience new locations. These trips are always a highlight for the students who go on them.

Beach versus mountain vacations

While trips to the beach are a classic for summertime, North Carolina also has mountainous areas to explore as well, which many students prefer. Both locations are beautiful in the summer, and with the diversity of the landscape in our state, there’s plenty of time to plan trips to both for a little taste of each. Towns like Asheville and Boone in the mountains and Wilmington and the Outer Banks on the beach, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Reading

With AP summer homework and summer reading being no more as of this summer, there is more time than ever for students to enjoy books of their own choosing. Summer is a great time to go to the library, explore a new genre or even just go get a coffee and spend time in a bookstore. You might just find your new favorite book.

Organizing

With the chaos and clutter of a school year coming to an end, it is often nice to do a little cleaning and organizing to get yourself ready when August rolls around. Cleaning out your backpack, organizing your school supplies and going through your clothes to make room for new items are all easy ways to brush off the old school year and prepare for a new one.

Congratulations on a year well done, Titans. Enjoy the start of your freedom this summer.