Dealing with the heat at the pool and in the classroom Tuesday



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A Heat Advisory was in effect on Tuesday, August 27th from noon until 8:00 p.m., and FOX6 News caught folks in the Milwaukee area doing their best to cool off. Some took to pools and splash pads in an effort to soak up this last bit of summer before school starts, but students already in school had to deal with the heat while in the classroom.

It was packed Tuesday at Schulz Aquatic Center in Milwaukee.

"It`s hot, it`s sticky, but I`m staying in the water the whole time," J.D. Optekar said.

Kids splashed around under a hot, bright sun.

"It`s hot outside and the pool is just nice to cool off and relax," Grace Optekar said.

While the kids had fun, parents enjoyed the final days before they say goodbye to summer.

"I opened the door and it was so hot I said, 'I have to come out today,'" Jessica Grose said.

Meanwhile, students at St. Monica School in Whitefish Bay were back in the classroom on Tuesday. Classes started on Monday.

"Typical Wisconsin, kids go back to school, our temperatures go up," Lori Schramka said.

The school has no air conditioning, so the lights were off and the fans were running at full blast.

"This is day two and we`ve got a great staff and they`re just used to it," Schramka said.

To keep kids cool, students were encouraged to have water on their desks and a uniform policy was relaxed.

"It`s been a little bit easier. The girls are in sundresses. It`s helped a little bit," Schramka said.

Back at the pool, other kids were getting ready to say goodbye to summer, and hello to a new school year.

"It`s a hot day. It`s a good day to be at the pool before we go back to school next week," J.D. Optekar said.

To help people stay cool during this later summer heat wave, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele is reopening two wading pools and one splash pad through Labor Day.

The wading pool at Humboldt Park, 3000 S. Howell Ave., will be open daily from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The wading pool at Smith Park, 5462 N. 33 St., will be open daily from noon-4 p.m. The splash pad at Gordon Park, 1321 E. Locust St., will be open daily from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Family aquatic parks at Cool Waters in Greenfield Park and the David F. Schulz Aquatic Center in Lincoln Park will also remain open daily through Labor Day.

For more information on the pools, go to countyparks.com or call 414-257-8098.