School’s out for summer, as the song played at many of Western Tidewaters public schools during dismissal time on Friday could attest.

Students will now have several weeks of freedom until they must return to school again in September. But that doesn’t mean they have to stop learning during that time.

Teachers and principals across the city encouraged their charges not to lose themselves in electronics during the summer.

A number of enjoyable, constructive, healthy and educational alternatives are available that we hope all of the city’s children will take advantage of this summer. The list of possibilities is endless:

• Read a book.

• Help your parents or neighbors with yard work or housework.

• Do community service — especially for you high school kids, since it’s required.

• Go to the library and learn what they have available. You’ll be surprised!

• If you’re old enough, look into an internship or paying job.

• Exercise or just get outside and play.

• Find a new hobby — one that doesn’t involve handheld electronic devices — or pursue an old hobby.

• Review some of the things you learned in class last year.

•Above all, stay out of trouble.

• Like we said, the list of possibilities is endless. Whether you’ve graduated from preschool and are heading into kindergarten or have graduated from high school and are headed into college, a job or the military, any or all of these choices would be good ones.

Here are some tips on how parents can make sure children stay safe, especially children who may be staying home alone or going out and about with friends.

• Make sure children know their parent or guardian’s full name, complete address with apartment number and their actual phone number — not a button on speed dial.

• Teach your child never to accept a ride from a stranger or get in a vehicle with someone they don’t know.

• Teach your child never to open the door for anybody if they are home alone and not to tell callers they are home alone.

• Teach children never to play in isolated areas or abandoned buildings.

• Get to know your child’s friends, their parents and where they live.

• Teach your child how to dial 911 and when it is appropriate to do so.

• Make sure your children know how to swim, and swim only in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.