Though school may be officially out for the summer, the voices of children can still be heard throughout the halls of Clark Elementary School.

The school is currently hosting a five-week summer program where children in pre-K through fifth-grade are spending time in the classroom learning and having fun at the same time.

“They are doing reading, math, and hands-on science,” said Clark Elementary School Principal Wanda McCall. “They also have fun activities like sewing quilts, arts and crafts, drama, and computer classes.”

The summer program at Clark Elementary began on June 7 and involves students from across the city and county.

McCall said the purpose of the program is not to just keep youngsters busy during the summer, it also helps to give them a head start when school starts again this fall.

“I tried to have a sound program where these kids can learn and have fun,” McCall said.

On Thursday, for instance, fifth-graders in the science room were learning about measuring and capacity by using pennies to sink paper cups in a bucket of water.

“They have to create a hypothesis of how many pennies it would take to sink the cup, then do the project to see if they were right,” said science tutor Brendon Wooton.

Across the hall, students in pre-K were reciting words in Spanish, while others were playing games on computers.

McCall said the summer program culminates in July with a three-day, two-night science retreat to the 4-H camp in Chilton County.

“We will go canoeing, looking at reptiles, and just have a good time,” McCall said.

The summer program, which ends July 9, is held each day from 8 a.m. till noon.