SUMMER SCHOOL OFFERS ENRICHMENT COURSES

Martha Huch looked at blood cells during the visit to the lab at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

Julie Antill taught a kindergarten class about Africa during summer school at Franklin School in Cape Girardeau. The school's theme this summer is "Around the World."

Once upon a time, summer school was something to be avoided, a place where students needing extra academic help spent long, hot days while everyone else played in the sun.

That's not the case any longer. Schools in Cape Girardeau and Jackson sponsor enrichment programs along with their usual academic fare, and many students choose to work their minds instead of lazing the days away.

This summer about 260 Cape Girardeau students in kindergarten through the sixth grades are studying the theme "Around the World" at Franklin Elementary School. Jackson schools have nearly 700 students in kindergarten through the seventh grade studying the theme "Space -- Inner and Outer." Another 300 Jackson high school students are also enrolled in summer school classes.

Cape Girardeau fourth-grader Thomas Robinson likes summer school because it was fun and easy. "I like summer school way better than regular school," he said. "It's a lot more fun -- and easier, too."

Michael DeGraw, a fourth-grader in the Franklin summer program, agreed. "We're learning everything you already learned about in fourth grade," he said. "It's OK; I like learning about the countries and stuff."

Coordinators in both districts give three reasons students attend summer school: Enrichment, extra credit opportunities and remediation. There are comparatively few students attending because of remediation, they said. Most of the remedial students had low attendance or low grades during the regular school year.

Of the students choosing to attend summer sessions, they said many of them either enjoy the chance to gain extra credit or to take classes not offered during the regular school year.

"We've had about a 40 percent increase in size; it almost looks like a normal school in many ways," said Jackson high school coordinator Rick McClard. "We have about one-third here for enrichment, one-third for extra credit and one-third for remediation."

Franklin principal Jim Watkins said summer school students are using a variety of techniques to learn about different countries and cultures. Building decorations are centered around the theme add to the learning, he said, so that students are able to learn whether they're inside a classroom or walking down the hall.

"We're trying to make it fun as well as educational," he said. "Almost all of the students are here because they want to be, so we're asking some of the students what they want to study and then going from there."

McClard said younger Jackson students are following a space theme while they develop skills in language, math, science and social studies. Many high school students are enrolled in enrichment classes, like pathology, computer keyboarding and physical fitness.

"The summer school programs have really grown, and we hope to expand it even more if possible next year," he said. "The kids like to take classes like pathology because it's of interest to them and something they can't be exposed to during the regular school year."

Teachers enjoy the change of pace the summer program offers. Teachers usually work with different age groups during the summer, which they said helps them learn different teaching techniques.

"It's different," said Lisa Hardesty, who works in a fourth-grade classroom this summer rather than as a remedial reading and reading recovery teacher. "In the regular school year, I just work mainly on building reading skills, but in summer school I see a variety of children and we do a lot of different extensive studies. It's kind of a switch, but it's a nice change and gives you a refreshing outlook."

Sixth-grade teacher turned kindergarten instructor Mark Cook agreed. "With kindergartners, it's mainly the basics: "Hands-on work with reading and counting skills. We use games, songs and art to go along with theme."

Becky Hicks, normally a second-grade teacher who is working with kindergartners this summer, said the goal is to teach kids without burdening them with learning. "We're just inundating them with learning, but they don't know that because they're having fun," she said.