It’s the time of year children look forward to most. School is winding down and swimming pools are opening up.

The city of Vicksburg Pool, located at 900 Lee St., opens on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28.

The pool will be open to Vicksburg residents seven days a week and recreational swimming will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. each day.

There are some exceptions. The pool will be the site of the VSA Stamm Family Invitational Swim meet on June 1 through 3. Normal hours will resume on June 4.

Cost of admission for recreational swimming is $4 for adults and $2 for children. Individual season passes are available for $60 and family passes for $120.

The pool is also open for lap swimming Monday through Friday from 6 to 8:30 a.m. and noon to 1 p.m.

Swimming lessons are also available at the pool. Please call city pool manager Sylvia Gertowski at 601-634-4516 for more information on swimming lessons.

While we hope a fun summer awaits our youngsters at our city pool, we hope it’s a safe one, too.

Remember these swimming safety tips from the American Red Cross.

• Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone. Even at a public pool or otherwise lifeguarded area, always use the buddy system.

• Never leave a child unattended near water and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.

•  Establish rules for your family and enforce them without fail. For example, set limits on each person’s ability. Do not let anyone play around drains and suction fittings, and do not allow swimmers to hyperventilate before swimming under water or have breath-holding contests.

Make plans now to waterproof your children by making certain they attend swimming lessons, either privately or those offered at the city swimming pool. Teaching children water safety and making sure they know how they swim is a gift that will serve them for a lifetime.