The Boys & Girls of Summer : Education: Emotions are mixed on the last day of school as youngsters welcome summer but hate saying goodby.

There were flowing tears and group hugs in Suzanne Shull’s fifth-grade classroom Thursday, the last day of the school year at Ventura’s Poinsettia Elementary School.

“She’s a great teacher,” said a red-eyed Ian Pritchard, 10, as he bid his final farewell to Shull. “She’s the best teacher I’ve ever had.”

Ian will be heading off to middle school next fall. Like many students, teachers and administrators throughout the Ventura Unified School District, he had mixed emotions on the last day of the school year.

Schools in the Ocean View and Rio elementary school districts in Oxnard, the Simi Valley Unified School District and the Santa Paula Elementary School District also put the finishing touches on the scholastic year Thursday after a half-day of classes, with graduation and award ceremonies, yearbook signings and other special activities.

In Shull’s classroom at Poinsettia, the parting was particularly emotional.

“It’s terrible,” Shull said as she embraced one student after another. “Half of this class I’ve had for two years. We’re so attached, I feel like they’re mine.”

It was more raucous on Poinsettia’s grass field, where Jan Carmody’s fourth-grade students were giving her gifts and reading short verses written in her honor.

Carmody came away with running shoes signed by the students and a bag of Popsicle sticks. As she collected her new belongings, the children gobbled ice cream and cookies and discussed their summer plans.

“I’m going to New Mexico to see my dad,” said Matt Fetch, age 10.

“I’m going to Michigan,” said 9-year-old Kevin Brooks.

“I’m going to my room--all summer,” said Tyson Babin, 10. “I got in trouble for shooting my brother with a crossbow.”

At nearby Balboa Middle School, the final bell rang at 1:15 p.m., prompting one young student to poke her head through the sunroof of a white limousine parked at the curb to shout: “School’s out!”

A parent hired the limo to drive her daughter and friends to a last-day-of-school party in style.

“We try to play it low-key,” said Principal Henry Robertson. “But the parents won’t let us.”

Students at Balboa were allowed to leave half an hour early--and most of them did so hastily.

But Rita Abraham, 14, hung around campus, dragging out her stay. The graduating eighth-grader held open a yearbook with blank pages covered by the signatures of her departing classmates.

“I’m totally depressed. I cried three times. I don’t want to go to high school,” said Rita, as she sat on a curb with a couple of friends who will be returning to Balboa. “But I’m going to be coming back, visiting, saying hi and stuff.”

Seventh-grader Manuel Lopez, 14, was more excited about the start of summer vacation. He even had plans. “I’m going to kick back,” he said.

But Manuel said he would miss at least some of his classmates. “The girls, yeah,” he grinned.

For eighth-grade math teacher Lou Liddi, the last day at Balboa school was truly his last day there. He is retiring after 35 years of teaching, 31 of those at Balboa.

“It’s wonderful, magnificent,” he said of his last day as a teacher. “It’s a wonderful day. I’m really going to miss the people I work with, but the students have been difficult for me the past few years. Their attitudes have changed.”

But saying goodby to some of the students, he said, “is heart wrenching for me.”

At Tierra Vista Elementary School in Oxnard, the year ended on a quiet note, with students spending the morning helping teachers clean up.

“Everything is very mild, calm, collected,” said Principal Sam Ballinger. “The children help clean up the classrooms with the teachers, put the books away, get the walls and floors ready for custodial summer cleaning.”

At Oxnard’s Rio Plaza School, students cleared out quickly after a a morning of boisterous goodbys.

“This morning there was laughter,” said Principal Gary Martino. “Now there’s such an emptiness already. It’s eerie.”

Last Day of School Hueneme: Today

Moorpark Unified: Today

Ojai Unified: Today

Oxnard Union High: Today

Pleasant Valley: Today

Conejo Valley Unified : Tuesday and Wednesday

Oak Park Unified: Wednesday