Summer session considered a success

By Ashley Vasquez

Ashley Vasquez/The Smithville Herald
OPAA Food Management provided a special lunch for students at the Smithville Upper Elementary School on the last day of summer school July 1. Students enjoyed a picnic lunch with hotdogs and snow cones from the Kiwanis Club. Here, Josephine Cummings, left, and Adison Eversole chat while eating their lunch outdoors.

The summer school session for the Smithville R-II School District ended with some of its highest enrollment numbers in recent history.

The session ended July 1 with an enrollment of 761 for kindergarten through eighth grades. This is up about 50 students over the previous summer school program, according to George Curry, assistant superintendent of academic services.

“It was a great year for summer school,” Curry said. “Our enrollment was very high, which means that the program will be able to continue in the future most likely.”

Curry said the high enrollment and high attendance of students participating in the program could be attributed to several factors including the incentive program, which offers gifts and monetary donations for students who attend.

During the morning hours of the 30-day program, students concentrated on reading, math, science and other core areas, while in the afternoon they participated in enrichment activities like robotics, outdoor time, cup stacking and more. As part of the program, Newton Learning provides the materials while Smithville R-II teachers instruct the classes. According to its Web site, Newton Learning provided curriculum to more than 48,000 Missouri students last summer, and its program is beneficial for giving students time for a summer break but not time “to forget” what they have learned.

Curry agreed and said the summer school program serves a variety of purposes for students, parents and the district at large.

“One of the goals of summer school is to keep students learning through the summer to build upon what they already learned as well as to help students that may be struggling in one or two areas to be more ready for the new year,” he said. “It is very beneficial for parents because the program is all day, and transportation is provided, and the students are well supervised. With this program, we can help students achieve even more academically and reinforce learning where needed.”

Curry said he was also pleased with the effort of the summer school principals Tracy Frerichs and Dennis Pieper as well as the other teachers.

“They all did a really great job this year,” he said. “The summer school was well organized and went very smoothly.”

Smithville Editor Ashley Vasquez can be reached at 532-4444 or ashleyvasquez@npgco.com