Given the emotional tenor of some local school board meetings of late, last evening's second annual Community Pool Event at Baer Memorial Park in Lehighton provided a brief respite from the difficult decisions facing most school officials throughout our commonwealth.

Nothing arouses the passions of residents more than a district having to deal with cutbacks in personnel or programs. Given that fact, it was commendable for Lehighton school officials to take a brief time out to mingle with local municipal officials and community residents. Last night's event was officially named the Lehighton School and Community Educational/Safety Program so with safety awareness in mind, it has to receive a big thumbs up.The district's Title One Department and Lehighton Baer Memorial Swimming Pool deserve credit for bringing school and community closer in an informal, positive setting. The event was open to all children and their families in the district, but students in grades kindergarten through grade 8 had to be accompanied by an adult in order to participate.Just in time for summer vacation season, stations were set up to help educate the children and parents on activities like water safety/rescue, bike safety, sunscreen awareness (a hot national topic this week),and nutrition. There were also more serious topics such as suicide prevention and self-defense as well as school-related issues on pre-school information and how to maintain academic levels in children throughout the summer. Information on occupational therapy services and early intervention services were also available.Students in the Lehighton district have also reached out to their community and world. District fundraising efforts have supported charitable causes ranging from helping local fire victims to tsunami relief. They have also aided the American Red Cross and been involved with the Summer Lunch Program, Miller Keystone Blood Drives, and collecting money for the Lehighton Library.Other programs which the district can be proud of include:• Safe School Ambassadors, a bully prevention program, now available to the students at the high school;• The Middle School Book Swap;• Students put on concerts, plays, musicals and art shows for the community;• Extra-curricular programs which are overseen by the faculty such as Odyssey of the Mind, ACE, Envirothon, SAGE, FBLA, and Scholastic Scrimmage.Many of these clubs often place high in competitive events at local, regional, state and sometimes even national levels.Thursday night's activities at Baer Memorial Park gave everyone a chance to take a much-needed time out from the rigors of school business. That happens again this coming Monday when the school board once again gets down to the business of managing operations under its $34-million dollar budget.By Jim Zbickjzbick@tnonline.com