When the school buses started rolling up Thursday afternoon, dreams of summer freedom became a reality for Ferriday Junior High students.

&uot;I’m going on vacation,&uot; April Harris said while she waited on her bus. &uot;I’ll read some books and go to band camp.&uot;

FJHS and all other Concordia Parish schools dismissed for the summer at 1 p.m. Thursday.

Teachers said goodbye to students for what several said was a much-needed break.

Colan’ca Hawkins will be leaving the junior high for the halls of Ferriday High School when school starts in the fall, but she said FJHS has well prepared her for the next step.

&uot;I’m going to ninth-grade,&uot; she said. &uot;I passed the LEAP test with flying colors, and one thing I learned at Ferriday Junior is how to treat people in life.&uot;

Henry Martin will join Hawkins at FHS, where he plans to play basketball and continue making good grades.

&uot;(Eighth-grade) was too easy,&uot; he said. &uot;I’ve got a good brain.&uot;

The move from FJHS to FHS will be the farthest physical move the students have made since leaving the lower elementary. FJHS and Ferriday Upper Elementary are located next to each other and connected by a sidewalk.

Soon to be seventh-grader Tyler Forman said even though the schools are close, his first year in the junior high was a new experience.

&uot;We had more freedom here than at the upper,&uot; he said. &uot;It was a really good year for me.&uot;

For a group of sixth-graders moving up to seventh-grade next year, this year was about mastering some math and reading skills they said they were struggling in.

&uot;I used to fail at math,&uot; Heather Beatty said. &uot;But this year I learned new stuff and math is my favorite. I liked the new experiences.&uot;

Desrealle Bates said she will spend some of her summer break at the Doty Road Center for a tutoring program so she will be ahead when school starts again.

&uot;I learned to do integers this year and I liked my math teacher,&uot; she said. &uot;I learned, in reading, some big words, in social studies, the 64 parishes and in science the elements.&uot;

At Vidalia Lower Elementary School, the last day of kindergarten left Caylee Couie and Madison Johnston with a head full of knowledge.

&uot;I learned too many things to remember,&uot; Couie said.