HANNIBAL, MO. -- Early dismissal for heat Wednesday, August 24: Hannibal High School and Mark Twain Elementary release at noon, Hannibal Middle School release at 12:25 and Oakwood, Veterans, Stowell and Eugene Field will release students at 12:40.
We've also just received word that several other schools will dismiss early on Wednesday.
Visit our official school closings page to view them all by clicking here.
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Wednesday's heat wave had many elementary students in Hannibal practically melting in their classrooms.
Mark Twain Elementary is one of the schools in the district without air conditioning. Walking through the halls, large fans and open windows are the main source for air.
Most teachers also chose to teach with the lights out to help with the heat. But it just wasn't enough. The district decided on an early dismissal.
KHQA's Brooke Hasch visited with kids in some of Hannibal's classrooms that are practically melting their seats.
Wednesday morning, the lights were off and students weren't in their seats, but class was still in session. Students in Mrs. Bright's fifth grade class decided to learn where it was coolest...on the floor.
"It gets really hot in the rooms and feels like the middle of summer all over again," said Conner Bross. "I bring a water bottle everyday and I sit by the fan."
"It is very hot and we always get sweaty all the time," said Kennedy Schmohe.
"For the most part, they're all doing well, especially in the mornings. The afternoon's a little tougher," said Mark Twain Principal Karen Wheelan.
"For the teachers, we adjust and are used to it. But for these little guys, it's so hard, they just suffer terribly. They can barely keep their head up off the desk. They cry because they're hot, with the kindergarteners.They just constantly need drinks. They bring water bottles but that's just not enough. It's just so hot for them," said Kindergarten Teacher Jenny Curtis.
These days its hotter inside the school than it is on the playground.
"We do go outside for recess. I don't know if any of them are choosing to stay in but I think most are going outside," said Wheelan.
It's a struggle to keep cool even when the kids have gone home for the day.
"We try to keep the fans going in the windows at night to hopefully bring in some of the cool air, without much success. But that's really all we can do," said Curtis.
"Hopefully, this will be our last hot day for a while," said Wheelan.
Needless to say these students have just one wish.
"That the school had air conditioning," said Bross.
Thankfully, they won't have to wait much longer.
"It is the last year and we are so grateful. We are so excited to have a school with air conditioning. And to see it being built right there, it's like ohhh...we can taste it," said Curtis.
The Camp Point School District also let our early this week. Superintendent Marty Cook says the district plans ahead of time for the summer's heat wave every year. Early dismissals at 1:15 p.m. are scheduled for the entire first week of school.
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