Megan Farrell, who retired from Oak Bluffs at the beginning of the summer, has accepted a one-year position as assistant superintendent of the Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools system.

When noon struck on Tuesday, school bells rang at elementary schools all over the Island announcing that summer vacation had officially begun.

Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School assistant principal Jeremy Light has been tapped to lead the Oak Bluffs School next year, taking over for retiring principal Megan Farrell. 

Megan Farrell told parents this week that she will retire at the end of the school year, joining three other Island principals who are planning to step down before next fall.

The half-day dismissal brought celebrations and reflections from students, teachers and parents alike. Some were nervous about transitions, others thrilled for the end of homework and the start of beach time.

The third graders at the Oak Bluffs School would like to give a huge thank you to the wonderful people at The Barn, Bowl and Bistro.

Bucking a statewide trend, the Vineyard public school system continues to grow, with 2,253 students enrolled across the Island on Oct. 1 compared to 2,191 a year earlier.

Whatever feelings the Island's children may have about returning to school next Tuesday, Sept. 6, their principals, teachers, coaches and other campus leaders are eager to welcome them back for a school year with a return of cherished traditions.

Six students from the Vineyard are among the winners of the Steamship Authority's Sail into Imagination art contest.

Danielle Light is a fifth grade math teacher at the Oak Bluffs School. She is also a parent of a third grader and a fifth grader, and so is seeing both sides of the homeschooling equation.

As a teacher she helped create an online curriculum for her students. As a parent she is incredibly appreciative of the work her colleagues have done for her children.

“I feel like the way the information is being provided to them is so age-appropriate and user-friendly,” she said.