Area schools will be bidding students au revoir this week as they head to winter breaks. Mid-Prairie, Iowa Mennonite School, Highland, Keota, and WACO schools will all release students on Thursday, December 22nd, and won’t see them again until 2017. IMS will dismiss students at 1:55 p.m., and WACO schools will release at the normal time, while the rest of the schools will release at 1 p.m. Mid-Prairie, Keota, and WACO will return to classes on Tuesday, January 3rd. IMS and Highland will give their students one additional day of vacation and will return to classes on Wednesday, January 4th. None of the area schools will serve lunches during winter break.