Last Day of School at Hampton Academy [VIDEOS]

The last day of the 2011 school year at Hampton Academy ended Wednesday the same way the first day of the school year began: students excitedly huddled around the bell as classmates ceremoniously tolled the Hampton icon.

As the last reverberations of the bell -- which Assistant Principal Andrea Shepard said has been used to usher in and close out each school year since 1859 -- rang out over Academy Street several sixth graders reflected on their first year of middle school as well as what they anticipate or hope to do next year.