It’s been a long time since I have been in school but I vividly remember how excited I was at this point in the school year. I looked forward to the schoolwide picnic at Hacketts Park, end-of-year class trips, no homework and a summer spent at Eddyside Pool. These were the days before cellphones and at a time when there really wasn’t much to watch on television. Truth be told we didn’t even have a color television until I was in middle school!

When the buses pulled away from school on the last day we waved goodbye to teachers and friends from the school bus windows and knew we would most likely not see most of our classmates until September as our parents were certainly not our personal chauffeurs. We learned to make our own fun within our own neighborhood and there were no parents involved in our day-to-day schedule of bike riding, pickup games of kickball or baseball, exploring the woods, swimming and meeting up with friends at the local park. We truly roamed free all summer long and only showed up at home to eat and sleep!

I am sure the students of today feel the same level of excitement even if their modern day experiences might be quite different.

Before the year ends for seniors a Salisbury High School Academic and Service Awards ceremony will be held 7 p.m. May 27 and graduation will take place 7 p.m. June 5 with a rain date 7 p.m. June 6.

On June 11, high school and middle school students will be dismissed 12:15 p.m. and elementary students will be dismissed 1:15 p.m. The last day of school will be June 12, which will also be an early dismissal day. At 10:30 a.m. SHS and SMS will begin summer vacation and SES students will say goodbye to the school year 11:15 a.m.

The summer playground program will be offered at Lindberg Park and Laubach Park beginning June 17 and will continue until July 24. Salisbury students who have completed kindergarten through age 12 can participate in the program once they have registered on the township website. The program is held 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday with evening hours 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesdays.

This summer kids aged 2-15 can bowl for free weekdays from June 1 through Nov. 25 at Steel City Bowl, 1770 Stefko Blvd., Bethlehem. For more information and registration check the website at www.kidsbowlfree.com.

Mark your calendar and keep your fingers crossed for beautiful weather on May 30 for a free community concert featuring the band AM Radio. The concert will be held 1-4 p.m. at Franko Farm Park. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy music from the 1960s and 1970s. Food trucks will be on site in case you work up an appetite while enjoying the fun.

Summer is a critical time for blood donations and this June community members will have two opportunities to make a lifesaving difference.

On June 2 the annual Miller Memorial Blood Drive in memory of Wayne Leibensperger Jr. will be held 3-7 p.m. at Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eastern Salisbury, 1707 Church Road. To register, call Deana Leibensperger at 610-217-3155.

The Salisbury Township municipal building will be the site of a community blood drive noon to 6 p.m. June 8. Register for this event at https://donor.giveapint.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/90483.

The township recycling centers are open for yard waste drop-off. The Devonshire site will be open May 28 and 30 and the Franko site will accept yard waste June 1, 4 and 6. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

“I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.” Phyllis Diller.