A summer program at Lincoln Memorial Middle School in Palmetto is taking students to the next level.
Summer Bridge is available free to families of incoming 6th graders at select middle schools.
The idea is to help students transition seamlessly to the next grade level, much like crossing a bridge from one school to the next.
Their day began with breakfast, followed by a greeting in their classroom from Assistant Principal Irene Nikitopoulos.
She made them aware of new expectations and rules in middle school; things that are different from a Kindergarten through 5th grade environment.
It wasn't long before students were off to an exciting activity in science, which they prepared for all week.
Science teacher Michael Siberon asks them the question written in black on the classroom's dry erase board.
"Does changing the amount of water affect how far a rocket travels?" Immediately, at least four hands go up into the air.
Nearby, a line of homemade rockets lay across a table. They're made from plastic soda bottles, cardboard and other recyclable materials.
One by one, teams poured 250 ml or 400 ml of liquid into a cylinder.
Students would soon be grabbing their rockets and clipboards, in order to record their data.
But first, a few giggles as they tried to figure out the mysterious liquid. "Is it Raspberry Sprite?" one student jokingly asked.
Others focus on the Smartboard in front of them which reads, "Amount of water". The mystery liquid is water.
Next, it's time to take their creations airborne outside.
The first location didn't work - the rocket landed in a tree. A second location, near the school's agricultural area, is perfect with lots of open space.
Jermaine Mitchell, another science teacher, helped with setup so the class would be ready to launch.
A few forced motions with an air pump and the countdown begins.
If hearing the wonder and amazement of the students as rockets soared through the clear, blue sky is any indication...
It will be a successful year of learning for these new sixth graders!
Summer Bridge programs are available through June 30th to incoming 6th, 9th and 10th grade students at Lee, Lincoln and Sugg Middle Schools; as well as Bayshore and Southeast High Schools.