As Gainesville City Schools releases students for summer break, Superintendent Jeremy Williams said that although the school year is over, the district still has a variety of programs available to keep students engaged and enriched all summer long.
At the start of each school year, a major concern for educators is the loss of reading students may have from not being in a classroom during summer break. Williams said the school system combats the risk of learning loss with three weeks of summer school in June.
“All nine of our schools will have summer school the first three weeks in June really is how it shakes out for us, Monday through Thursday in the morning,” Williams said. “So, our kids will come in, they'll continue to receive some remediation in areas that maybe they weren't as successful in during the school year, or just more opportunities to work with kids on reading and math … And that's a great opportunity for our teachers to continue to build relationships with our students.”
At the elementary school level, summer school programs reach out to students who may need academic support, but many of the students participate in the activities for the enrichment the programs provide. However, at the middle and high school levels, the programs become more specific to the student's academic needs.
“When you get to middle and high school, you are talking about more retention of students,” Williams said. “Instead of holding them back, let's give them some extra time to learn that grade level and move on to the next grade. And when you get to high school, it's all about credits. And so, students who may have failed a class, they need to come in and get those credits.”
Williams emphasized though students are doing schoolwork, the system aims to add activities that may not be a part of the traditional classroom experience during the school year.
“Sometimes, when you look at school in general, it's not always extremely exciting for kids,” he said. ”But we want to make sure that if they are coming in over the summer, and they are participating in our activities, we want to be engaging. And so oftentimes, you'll have some labs and assignments and activities that are not what you typically see in the school year. Our kids do get excited about summer school, we have great participation there.”
The school system anticipates roughly 1,200 students to participate in its summer school programs this year.
Gainesville City Schools also will support student enrichment over the break through a second-year partnership with the Elachee Science Center and The Quinlan Visual Arts Center, by sponsoring roughly a dozen students to attend camps the centers offer.
“At the end of the day, it's all about relationships and engagement with our kids,” Williams said. “And our kids need to find something that they're interested in, because then those relationships that they build with a caring adult, just last them really throughout school and beyond. And it gives them a foundation to be that caring adult someday down the future.”
High schoolers in the district are also given the opportunity to visit nearby college campuses for a day. The school system provides transportation and chaperones for the rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders who choose to attend the tours.
“Summer is very different from the one most of us went to school,” he said. “There are so many activities, and activities have always been there. You've always had Vacation Bible School and other camps that have been throughout a community, but school systems have really stepped up in the last few years. If we have students who cannot have those typical summer opportunities, then we want to be sure we're providing them for the kids and their families.”
The school system also directs parents to look into the various programs offered over the summer with Gainesville Parks and Recreation and encourages parents to ensure their child reads even during the break.
“We want our kids and families to understand that learning doesn't stop,” Williams said. “Just because you're not in school doesn't mean you're not learning, and just continue on having fun this summer, while also getting ready to start the next school year.”
