2022 Summer Learning
Written By: Madison Clark

Throughout the month of June, the USD204 school district provided summer school for students at the elementary and high school levels. All three elementary schools in the district held their own summer school with 16 teachers and an on-site coordinator at each elementary school. The total amount of students who attended was 177. Throughout the past couple of years as learning loss has become a big concern for students, especially those at an elementary school level; summer school is crucial. 

Amanda Clark, the on site coordinator for Edwardsville Elementary says, “ There is definitely a more pressing need for summer school and we continue to work hard to close the gap on learning loss due to the pandemic.”

Summer school is a great opportunity to help students connect and understand necessary skills by incorporating hands-on activities as well as exciting experiences. 

“Students participated in a variety of activities like the Bonner Springs Library reading program and coding club. Each grade completed and performed a reader's theater with props and costumes. Mad Science showed students all sorts of chemistry experiments. Dennis Stanton, art teacher at DRE, shared about the book he wrote and the KC Heart he painted that was displayed in the Kansas City metro. Students also engaged in hands on math and reading games and activities,” Clark says. 

Mr. Mackey the on-site coordinator at DRE says, “4th and 5th grade students learned about the Harlem Globetrotters then designed a shoe for use by the group.  This project spanned several days during which time they brainstormed shoe ideas, created a design on paper, used foam and other materials to craft their shoes, and then presented their completed shoes to other summer school classes. 2nd grade students created their own solar ovens using cardboard and tinfoil.  After finishing, they took the ovens outside and used them to make S'mores. 1st grade students worked prepared a Reader's Theater titled "The Cranky Bear", then performed it for 2nd grade students.”

For many students summer school offers an enjoyable environment that encourages them to further the skills they learned throughout the school year. This also sets the students up for success the following school year. 

Mr. Moulin the assistant superintendent says,“Summer school is an opportunity to focus on skill refinement and puts our students in a great position to be successful the following school year.”

At the high school level, the main focus of summer school is credit recovery. “By taking advantage of summer school, high school students do not have to recover the credit during the regular school year, which allows more flexibility with scheduling and more opportunities for elective credits. With summer school classes being smaller, there are more opportunities for skill refinement,” Moulin says. 

This year’s summer school was very successful. As students are still faced with learning loss from the pandemic it is important that the students have every opportunity possible to become successful during the school year. The students were able to harness skills necessary to ensure their success for the following school year.