WORCESTER, Mass. - Worcester Public Schools are now out for the summer, and on Tuesday, teachers and staff looked to send their students off on a high note. At Chandler Elementary Community School, inflatable water slides, bouncy castles and other activities were brought in as part of its long-running "Spree Day" tradition.

“Teachers, staff and students work so hard for 179 days, so on the 180th day, we just want to celebrate all the hard work, it’s amazing,” principal Jessica Boss said.

Boss said planning usually begins a year in advance for the celebration, and many of the students at Chandler were in school in 2020 when the festivities had to be cancelled. 2021 wasn’t quite the same either, but with a couple of normal endings to the school year now under their belt, Boss is happy students will have some good memories to take with them into the summer.

“We have students, teachers, families, community members, everyone kind of comes together, does some fundraising," she said. "We do a lot of stuff during the school year, we host dances, just to make sure we’re able to pull this off.”

Teachers also helped keep everything organized throughout the day. Physical education teacher Justice Lane was over at the Central Community Branch YMCA on Main Street where students filtered in throughout the day.

“It’s great for the kids," Lane said. "There’s not much they have to look forward to outside of school in the summer, so to give them extra opportunities to be outside and play, getting physical activity, those are things I’m supportive of, and I know our school administration is supportive of.”

For parents who want to keep their kids involved over the summer, Worcester Public Schools offers language, art and music programs throughout July and August. For more information on how to sign up, visit the school district’s website.