Wednesday, June 18, 2003

Summer school is Ultimate Fun!

Lincoln County R-II School district is offering Elsberry students the ultimate in summer adventure with their newly designed extended learning program. The Elsberry Summer Adventure operated by the school district helps provide a world-class educational experience.

The new format has resulted in an increased number of students, double last year’s attendance. The session started out with 454 students. The average daily attendance has been 387.

Because some revenue is based on average daily attendance formulae, this will help the school finances for the next three years that these figures will be used. This will help to offset decreasing pupil enrolment and will generate revenue.

The biggest difference this year is that the school district has contracted with Edison Company’s Newton Learning to provide curriculum lesson plans, supplies and incentives. In this way the students and teachers have more and better quality materials and programming and the entire package costs the district less money. Put neatly into a nutshell, it’s less money for more stuff.

Teachers are paid by the district, at rates determined by the company, so that their retirement will be credited and the district is then given that amount as a discount from the Edison Company.

The program operates daily from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Opening day was June 2 and the sessions will run through July 3, the 24-day length being divided into two 12 day sessions.

The programming is free to all students.

Children do not have to be in attendance every hour in order to receive credit. The district assumes that students may have vacations or camps planned. While prizes for good attendance are available to students, a child’s occasional absence is not a problem.

Students who maintain perfect attendance will receive a $100 Visa card from the company and $75 and $50 incentives are also in place.

The two summer school principals, Cyril Heintzelman and Kenny Youmans, who are sharing the position, are kept busy after school hours procuring prizes which are awarded to students each day for good attitudes and achievement.

The prizes may seem like a dream come true for the students, but it’s a different story for the administrators. “It’s a nightmare,” said Heintzelman, “You’re in the store with a heaping cart full of toys trying to decide what to buy next balls, games, water guns, soda.” Each day five prizes are awarded in each of the age groups at the day-end assembly. The company provides $25 in prizes for each age group each day.

The nineteen teaching positions are being filled by 26 teachers, some opting to teach only one of the two 12 day sessions. Because of the high number of students enrolled, three teachers’ aides, a nurse and a secretary were included in the personnel by the company. There is also a Green Thumb/volunteer worker.

Transportation is provided for these students who qualify during the regular school year. The seven bus routes differ somewhat from the routes run during the regular year. Half the transportation cost is picked up by the company.

Lunch is handled by the school district and is part of the regular hot lunch program. Due to the large number of students to be fed in a short time span, Styrofoam trays are being utilized so a second lunch line could be instituted.
The school is divided into five age groups. The kindergarten is for children who will be going into kindergarten in the fall. Primary 1 is comprised of those going into the first grade; Primary 2 is for those going into the second and third grades. The Elementary group is made up of those going into fourth and fifth grades. Intermediate 1 is made up of those going into sixth and seventh grades; Primary 2 students will be entering eighth and ninth grades.

At the high school level, three half-day classes are being offered for three weeks.

"We looked at our MAP Test score weaknesses and addressed this through the choices we were given, our student's needs and areas of concern."

The response from the students has been very positive.

One teacher commented that the curriculum was so well organized and well written that she could see the afternoon “fun things” play off the morning’s more academic learning.

Students in the third grade and above were given pretests in math and reading and will be tested again when the program is finished. The company guarantees a certain percent of improvement or the school will receive a refund. This is the kind of accountability that is often missing in current education programs.

In the morning academic courses, children remain with their age groups. In the afternoon adventure courses, the students are mixed. Grades one, two and three are together and Primary 1 and Primary 2 are mixed.

“We’re playing tag games, kickball, and relay races. I was told mine was the best class,” says Tracy Cleveland who teaches Outdoor Bound in the afternoon stressing cooperation, teamwork, problem solving and thinking strategies to Primary 1 and 2 students.

“When we do rockets they say ‘Oh this is cool, how do you come up with this?’” says teacher Amanda Niffen.

A variety of themes were available in all subject areas at each age level. With a careful eye to what test scores indicate students need most, custom programs were put together.

The instructional methods are motivating. In addition to being rewarded for hard-earned achievements, students are involved in applying knowledge and skills from many different fields in posing questions and doing original research to finding their own answers to interesting questions.

“Other that some minor glitches,” says Heintzelman, “the studies and materials that the teachers and the students have are wonderful and it’s almost all hands-on experience. We have way more supplies than we have for the regular school year.”

Newt week we’ll take a look at what Elsberry children are doing in their classes each day at this ultimate summer school experience.