Nobody calls the health department or Centers for Disease Control about this outbreak when it reaches Southeast Missouri but teachers know spring fever can spread rapidly.

It usually hits students about mid-April when the weather gets warmer and the humidity rises, said Sheryl Dunavan, a teacher at Central High School. And teachers see some of the worst cases among juniors and seniors, who are antsy to get out of class for any reason.

Dunavan, who teaches German, said her classes kept saying "We'll do it Monday," when they encountered assignments in class Friday afternoon. Warm air wafting in through windows didn't help keep their minds on German lessons.

Of course, spring sports and outdoor activities also contribute to the spread of spring fever.

Lisa Conrad said her three children are looking forward to baseball games, fishing and warmer weather -- early signals that summer is coming. Sometimes, though, spring fever can be tough because her boys, ages 10 and 15, are reluctant to come inside to do homework when they could be outdoors playing pitch and catch.

With daylight-saving time, the children could easily stay outside until 7:30 some nights, Conrad said. And the longer they stay outside during the evening, the harder it is to get them up for school the next morning.

And while high school students do admit to getting a bad case of spring fever, most still attend class instead of skipping. At Central, attendance is tied directly to whether or not students take finals. Those with good attendance don't have to take final exams during the last week of school.

But even when students are in the classroom it doesn't mean their mind is on their work, teachers say.

"So we have to find ways to keep them from drifting off," said Pat Kuper. That means projects and group assignments.

Kuper said one of her poetry classes wanted to move its meeting outdoors so they could find inspiration.

The teachers "don't cut us any slack," said Nick Ervin, a senior. "But I know a few have got it too, especially with the moving." The school district is opening a new high school in the fall and shuffling some building space in the process.

Adam Carver said his case of senioritis is worse than spring fever. "I just want to get out of here," he said.

Junior Darin Teague finds some excuses for being outside once the weather turns warmer. Sitting indoors in a classroom "is not fun at all" when the weather is nice, he said.

Senior Dane Lincoln said the only class he's taken that lets students go outside is an ecology course. "That's why I signed up for the class," he said.

And May is probably the worst time for spring fever, students said.

"You don't want to sit through class," said Jonathan Beattie, a junior.

Most of the seniors claim their ailment is directly related to the graduation date, not warmer weather.

Susan Hekmat, who teaches several classes of seniors, said they've been afflicted with senioritis since December. Spring fever hits when they start thinking about prom, tanning and wearing short sleeves, she said.

"When you see the prom magazine, you know it's the rite of spring," Hekmat said.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126