The pottery wheels turn, a black-and-white photograph develops in the darkroom, soccer balls rip into the netting of the goal and the crack of a baseball bat to ball is heard.

These are just a few of the sights and sounds someone is likely to see and hear at The O’Neal School this summer.

As Falcon Day Camp (a pre-kindergarten to eighth-grade camp) enters its fourth, O’Neal has decided to broaden its summer programs for children, grades 2-12, in and around the community.

The school is offering a series of 19 different one-week camps over six different weeks.

Although the fun and excitement should be an integral part of any child’s summer, Headmaster Jay St. John recognizes that summer programs can be a real extension of a child’s education.

“Our intention from the very start was to have four different themes to our camps, enrichment, the arts, sports and technology,” St. John said. “We feel by offering these categories that children will not only have had a action-packed summer, but be more prepared for their next grade level.”

Children can choose from pottery, photography, drama, soccer, baseball or odyssey of the mind, to name a few.

“Here Comes the Sun,” the catchy name of the project, has been developed by program facilitator Jonathan Wainwright. Wainwright, who has recently moved to Southern Pines from England, has a background in community recreation work and has worked with young people in many different settings.

“This exciting new project not only provides a much needed service in the local communities but we feel that it will highlight the fantastic facilities and faculty at our school,” Wainwright said.

The student to faculty ratio is 15 to 1 to ensure individual attention and fun.

In recent years, The O’Neal School has made large steps to become more active in its surrounding communities and this new summer program venture only serves to reiterate this commitment.

The school has recently added to its facilities, with new pottery and photography development facilities, a computer lab and beautiful new library facility. In addition, work has begun on a fantastic tennis facility and these six new courts will house the tennis camp.

Wainwright also intends to make the camps as healthy as possible by cooking up healthy lunches and supplying the children with fruit at break times.