Nevada summer school enriches students' lives

Friday, June 25, 2004

Nevada Daily Mail

For years, summer school was only for those who needed extra help to get through those core classes. That's just not so any longer.

Now, it's true that remedial and credit recovery classes are still offered, but many districts -- Nevada R-5 among them -- are offering opportunities for enrichment and credit for all students.

Nevada R-5 superintendent Ted Davis said many students are taking advantage of the wide curriculum now offered of their own volition, for fun, for something to do and to have the opportunity to advance skills without the additional pressures of the traditional school year.

For example, some high school students are opting for an algebra class this summer to move on to higher math during the school year, or so that they can get the math credit behind them and take advantage of other classes offered this fall.

Grade school students are also getting unique experiences through summer school. Debbie Spaur, who is principal at Bryan Elementary, said the district's youngest students are offered a wide variety of learning opportunities.

Safety city, for example, teaches kindergartners and first graders about bicycle safety, crossing the street, household safety and so on.

"We're busy all the time, and the kids really have a good time," Spaur said.

The session is very well attended, she noted.

"Sometimes as I walk down the hall I have to remind myself that this is summer school and not just a regular term school day."

In fact, enrollment numbers are at an all-time high for the youngest students of the district. District-wide, more than 1,200 students are enrolled in summer school, and the district is providing bus service for more than 400 of them.

Summer school programs include several field trips, one of which has become a tradition in Nevada -- "Chess on the Square," a recent event in which students set up chess boards and challenge passers-by to a friendly game. According to Christi Peterson, assistant superintendent, there are several innovative classes like that incorporated into this year's summer school, such as "Around the World in 18 Days," in which students explore the food, culture, language and sports of other countries, or a class in which students learn to make musical instruments from discarded household materials.

Nevertheless, there are still classes aimed at improving the academic success of struggling students, but Spaur said remedial classes offered have taken on a more hands-on experiential learning approach.

For example, in the review classes, elementary school children are writing about field trips they have taken during summer school and are working in small guided reading groups with the teachers. Even those classes the school has labeled as enrichment courses are also aimed at reinforcing basic skills.

For example, in "Kids in the Kitchen," children are using math skills to weigh and measure ingredients and writing skills to copy and publish recipe books. A class on embryology titled, "Eggciting Science," focuses on learning about animals that hatch from eggs. A trip to a turkey farm was one of the highlights of the class as well as the actual hatching of chicks and ducks in the classroom.

Spaur said that Safety City, a program especially for kindergartners to be, has been offered for several years, and since its inception the class has helped tremendously in getting the children used to the school routine.

"We have had few criers at the beginning of the year and some of the time that was spent just getting used to the school setting has been reduced in the fall," Spaur said.

This year, a new extended day summer school has been added, featuring a reading program that correlates reading with real-life experiences. The 58 children in this pilot program stay the entire day during summer school.

Summer school at the other grade levels has progressed smoothly as well.

A new transition class for fifth graders going into sixth grade called, "Jumpstart," has been well received by parents and students, Spaur said.

On the high school level, makeup or acceleration classes are available in all of the core areas, like history, science, health, English. There's also an ACT preparation class taught by high school instructors. Students have been given the opportunity to take such classes as speech, driver education and geometry. Summer band at the middle school has taught prospective band students the fundamentals of a musical instrument which in turn helps get them ready to participate in band in the fall.

Summer school ends June 30.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: