TRAVERSE CITY -- Sleeping in has become routine for Kendra and Shelby Harris.
The Harris twins, sophomores at Traverse City Central High School, caught up on sleep last week after a suspected swine flu outbreak forced officials to shut down school.
"It's nice not having to worry about homework and tests," said Shelby.
But the girls, 14, had to readjust to the 6:30 a.m. buzz of their alarm clock today as thousands of students returned to school after a week-long recess.
Traverse City, Kingsley and Benzie County's public school districts reopened today, and officials soon will find out whether the decision to close helped curtail the flu bug.
"We have no idea what to anticipate this week," said Alison Arnold, TCAPS spokeswoman.
Arnold received calls from some parents who said the additional time away from school helped their children kick the flu.
But just because schools are reopening, it doesn't mean the flu bug has disappeared.
"We're not over the hump yet," Arnold said. "This isn't the end of the epidemic."
Some schools that reopened Monday experienced an impact from last week's closure.
Seven students called in sick Monday at Traverse City College Preparatory Academy, a charter high school in East Bay Township. School officials decided to shut down last Tuesday after 38 students were absent.
"It seems like the closure has helped," said school leader Marguerite Forest.
Grand Traverse Academy also benefited from last week's recess, but not by much.
Four percent of students were absent Monday, said Superintendent Kaye Mentley. Officials shut down school last Wednesday after 6 percent of students fell absent.
"We're down a little bit," Mentley said.
Chip Hansen expects local schools to benefit from the recess; it did for him.
Hansen, superintendent of Charlevoix County's East Jordan Public Schools, was forced to shut down schools two weeks ago after absenteeism topped 30 percent.
But since reopening last week, absences have hovered around 4 percent, Hansen said.
It's evidence that shutdowns work, said Fred Keeslar, director of the Grand Traverse County Health Department. But, he added, people should not automatically assume the virus has passed.
"That's not to say we can't have a second wave," Keeslar said.
School-based vaccine clinics will begin today at Traverse City West Middle School -- the first TCAPS school to close, more than a week ago -- and Westwoods Elementary.
Keeslar said the health department received 900 nasal spray and 580 injectable doses.
Vaccinations are still recommended for young people, who have been the most affected demographics, and people with compromised immune systems who are more at risk of developing complications.
Staff writer Lindsay VanHulle contributed to this report.
If you go
School vaccine clinics for the H1N1 influenza strain known as swine flu will begin today. Clinics are for students only, with parental permission. This week's schedule:
-Today: Traverse City West Middle School, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
-Today: Westwoods Elementary, 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
-Wednesday: Traverse City West Senior High, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
-Wednesday: Blair Elementary, 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
-Thursday: Traverse City High School, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
-Thursday: Traverse City Central High School, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
-Thursday: Traverse City Area Public Schools' Montessori program, 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
-Friday: Traverse Bay Area Career-Tech Center, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
-Friday: Central Grade School, 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
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