Area districts get ready for summer school

Now that the regular school year is over, schools and some students are looking ahead to summer school.

Christa Turner, director of academic services at the Cape Girardeau School District, said Friday the summer school program is looking good, enrollment-wise.

So far, 223 students are enrolled from prekindergarten to fourth grade. The program focuses on reading, math and music, Turner said.

Turner said all programs except the high school's summer school run from May 24 to June 7, and each is a full-day program with transportation, breakfast and lunch provided.

The elementary program is hosted by Blanchard School, Turner said, but bus routes cover their entire regular area.

The middle-school program for grades five and six has 130 students enrolled as of Friday, and will be at the middle school, Turner said.

"It's math and reading tied into real-world experiences," Turner said, adding the program has been revamped a bit for this year.

"Walking learning experiences" will include trips to a bank, the public library and a visit to the Red House Interpretive Center near the Mississippi River, she said.

"It's more challenging to do that every day during the regular school year with more students, but we can really immerse kids in it for the summer program," Turner said.

For grades seven and eight, Turner said, the program is geared more toward remediation in core areas, including math, science, social studies and reading.

The high school's summer school program runs from May 24 to June 21, with a morning and afternoon session, each about three hours long, Turner said.

"It's a combination of remediation and enrichment," Turner said, adding each course is credit-bearing.

Students earn half a credit for each session they're enrolled in, Turner said.

As of Friday, 318 students had enrolled in one or more classes.

"The numbers have really skyrocketed both last and this summer at the high school, which is a good thing," Turner said.

Jackson

For first through fifth grade students, the Jackson School District is offering free summer school from June 1 to 22, according to the district website.

Students entering kindergarten also have free summer school available, from June 5 to 16.

Jackson School District associate superintendent Matt Lacy said Friday that enrollment is looking strong, with more than 300 students enrolled in the high school's summer-school courses, and a record 640 students enrolled in the elementary school's programs as of Friday.

"[The staff have] done a really great job cultivating that program," Lacy said of the elementary school's summer school program.

As for the high school, Lacy said, "we try to offer a lot of required core area courses, so students can take those and fulfill requirements," adding strategy is geared less toward remediation and more toward opening up student schedules for fine arts courses during the regular school year.

"It's been pretty popular," he said of the program. "It's not geared toward remediation really."

Perry County

Kate Martin, communications director for the Perry County school district, said this summer school season has a lot to look forward to.

"There's a program at every school," she said.

The middle school and high school have credit-recovery programs, and elementary and middle schools have enrichment programs.

Camp Curiosity for students entering kindergarten through third grade is like reading, math and science retention disguised as fun, Martin said. Summerscapes for middle school students will be similar, she added.

Both programs will focus on STEM projects and the arts at the elementary and middle-school levels, with several physical activities and field trips as well.

The elementary and middle school programs are filled, with 375 signed up at the elementary school and 100 at the middle school.

Sessions start May 31, end June 27, and have an associated cost -- $60 for Camp Curiosity, $75 for Summerscapes.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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