To say "it is hot" is "boring," but to say "it's so hot, I feel like I melted crayon" is "awesome!"
That's the assessment some young students made while playing the game "Juicy Sentences" during summer school at Fairhill Elementary.
While some area children are spending their days at the swimming pool or on trips, others are in summer school at several locations across the area. Thirteen children from Louise Archer Elementary are involved in the Young Scholars program, where they explore various topics in a more relaxed setting.
"Young Scholars is for kids who have a lot of potential and enthusiasm for learning, but maybe don't have the same opportunities," said Kathy Cutri, the class's instructional assistant.
MEETING AT Fairhill Elementary, the Young Scholars program is funded by Louise Archer's Gifted and Talented program and brings together rising first- through third-graders.
In addition to studying adverbs, adjectives and metaphors through the activity "Juicy Sentences," the young scholars have been busy studying such diverse topics as the digestive system, the lives of scientists and public safety.
During "Food Week," the young scholars performed a role play depicting the steps of the digestive system, and did an experiment on what happens to crackers after munching them. They also went on a field trip to Tequila Grandé and learned about nutrition.
Throughout the program, visitors from the community will be coming in to talk to the scholars about various subjects. Vienna Police officer Virginia Palmore discussed safety, and Vienna chiropractor Andy Stynchula will come in this week to talk about the skeletal system.
So far, many of the scholars have enjoyed learning about the lives of the scientists and their inventions.
"I got to learn what they did to be famous," said Young Scholar Rachel Moore.
Leroyce Fortune's favorite scientist is George Washington Carver.
"He made lots of stuff out of peanuts," Leroyce said.
The class will meet for several more weeks in August.
"It's getting kids to look at things in their world in a different way," said Young Scholars teacher Nadine James.