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PITTSBURG —
More than 150 Pittsburg Community Schools elementary students are getting a “boost” on their academics this month by taking part in USD 250’s enhanced summer school program.
The Summer Boost Academy, which runs from 8 to 11:30 a.m. through Aug. 3 at Meadowlark Elementary School, combines classroom instruction in reading and math with multiple enrichment, wellness and team-building activities. The program also focuses on nutrition and physical fitness. The program is funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant and through USD 250 ESOL and at-risk funds.
The program is coordinated by USD 250 educators Michelle Casey and Tricia Harrell. Summer programs are important, Harrell said, because students can forget a lot of what they learned during the school year.
“They lose a lot over the summer, so they have a month to keep learning,” Harrell said. “We’re focusing on the whole child. They’re learning to eat well and work together to get things accomplished.”
Through a partnership with Save the Children, an independent organization dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s youth, USD 250 was able to include into its summer program various enrichment activities. Harrell said the reception from the students so far has been good.
“I know the kids love it and so do the teachers,” Harrell said. “They want to come. You see the kids skipping in the halls and smiling. They’re really happy.”
The students spend 30 minutes in each session, which includes working with LEGO Education robots from Pitsco under the Science, Technology Engineering and Math curriculum, reading sessions in the library for the Guided Independent Reading Practice curriculum, and physical and nutritional activities under the Co-ordinated Approach To Child Health curriculum.
“We were worried that the 30-minute sessions wouldn’t work, but they’re always excited to go to the next activity,” Harrell said.
The physical activities are a hit, Meadowlark Counselor Melinda DeGruson said.
“They’re fun, fun, fun!” DeGruson said. “There’s a lot of everything. There’s movement, lots of music, and they use things everybody has so they can do them at home. And the games are always win-win. That makes them have fun and have a good time. I don’t think the kids have had this much fun in a summer program.”
Pittsburg State University students are even getting involved. Teaching students in associate professor Trinity Davis’s summer class help the kids with reading and language arts skills.
“They assess their reading, writing and spelling skills to see where they need help,” Davis said. “It gets them ready for fall. They really get a chance to work with big groups of kids and learn how important it is to build a foundation. They really learn how to teach and apply what they’ve learned in other classes.”
More than 150 Pittsburg Community Schools elementary students are getting a “boost” on their academics this month by taking part in USD 250’s enhanced summer school program.
The Summer Boost Academy, which runs from 8 to 11:30 a.m. through Aug. 3 at Meadowlark Elementary School, combines classroom instruction in reading and math with multiple enrichment, wellness and team-building activities. The program also focuses on nutrition and physical fitness. The program is funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant and through USD 250 ESOL and at-risk funds.
The program is coordinated by USD 250 educators Michelle Casey and Tricia Harrell. Summer programs are important, Harrell said, because students can forget a lot of what they learned during the school year.
“They lose a lot over the summer, so they have a month to keep learning,” Harrell said. “We’re focusing on the whole child. They’re learning to eat well and work together to get things accomplished.”
Through a partnership with Save the Children, an independent organization dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s youth, USD 250 was able to include into its summer program various enrichment activities. Harrell said the reception from the students so far has been good.
“I know the kids love it and so do the teachers,” Harrell said. “They want to come. You see the kids skipping in the halls and smiling. They’re really happy.”
The students spend 30 minutes in each session, which includes working with LEGO Education robots from Pitsco under the Science, Technology Engineering and Math curriculum, reading sessions in the library for the Guided Independent Reading Practice curriculum, and physical and nutritional activities under the Co-ordinated Approach To Child Health curriculum.
“We were worried that the 30-minute sessions wouldn’t work, but they’re always excited to go to the next activity,” Harrell said.
The physical activities are a hit, Meadowlark Counselor Melinda DeGruson said.
“They’re fun, fun, fun!” DeGruson said. “There’s a lot of everything. There’s movement, lots of music, and they use things everybody has so they can do them at home. And the games are always win-win. That makes them have fun and have a good time. I don’t think the kids have had this much fun in a summer program.”
Pittsburg State University students are even getting involved. Teaching students in associate professor Trinity Davis’s summer class help the kids with reading and language arts skills.
“They assess their reading, writing and spelling skills to see where they need help,” Davis said. “It gets them ready for fall. They really get a chance to work with big groups of kids and learn how important it is to build a foundation. They really learn how to teach and apply what they’ve learned in other classes.”
