Children who participated in Camp Health is Precious Health is Our Priority at Nicholson Elementary celebrated weeks of hard work with fun in the heat.

A water slide, water balloons, face painting and hot dogs were all part of the festivities at Nicholson Elementary, a way to say thanks to the children for all their hard work, said Nicholson Elementary staff member Diane Wise.

“It’s a fun water day at Camp HIP HOP,” said Picayune School District Project Coordinator Dawn Bechtel.

During Camp HIP HOP, the children built bicycles for donation to foster children, learned about nutrition, helped in a school flower bed beautification project and the older children helped the younger children write their biographies, Wise said.

The celebration is all thanks to grants from Safe Harbor under the assistance of the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation, Bechtel said.

“We want to thank all the funders that made this camp so successful,” Bechtel said.

Wednesday was not the only fun day the children at Camp HIP HOP have had, Wise said. The children have gone skating, bowling, swimming and also have a day at the Natural Science Museum in Jackson planned for Friday. South Side Elementary and the Center for Alternative Education students participating in the camp will visit the museum Thursday, Wise said.

Wise said she would like to thank the faculty for making the camp such a positive experience.

“Really without them we could not have pulled this off, we planned on 200 and got 800,” Wise said about the attendance of the program district wide.