Al Roesch, North Penn School District Board of School Directors.
(The following submission is part of a monthly series of
editorials, courtesy of our partnership with North Penn School District and the
North Penn Board of School Directors.)
Dear North Penn Community,
One of the joys of being a North Penn School Board Director is to be able to provide community members with different education programs in our schools, including summer school programs. As someone with a learning disability that attended summer school, I am very proud to be able to bring these opportunities to the community.
Below is a list of the programs and their goals, dates, and cost. The school board and administration are committed to provide a quality education to everyone, including those who may need extra support through our summer programs. Through Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding, Title III funds, and careful district budgeting, this year we are able to offer most summer programs at no cost to students.
- SPARK (Summer Program for Academic Readiness for Knights) is designed to reinforce and strengthen foundational skills in reading and math. Students in grades K-6 who meet the criteria using multiple data points (a tool to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work) are eligible. The goal of Spark is to provide literacy instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, fluency, comprehension, and writing. The program will be held from July 11 to Aug. 4 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Through ESSER funding, the program is available at no cost to students.
- The Elementary Virtual Enrichment Program is designed for students in K-6 to reinforce and strengthen grade level standards and skills to accelerate learning in all subject areas. There are weekly themed activities designed to reinforce and expand on grade level standards and skills. It includes Freckle, a personalized learning pathway, opportunities for engagement through live Read Alouds, Book Clubs and more! This program will be held in July. Through ESSER funding, this program is free to students.
- The Summer Library Program provides access to the North Penn library to promote literacy during summer months. This provides students with the opportunity to improve oral, listening, speaking and writing skills through fiction and nonfiction literature. The program is run through designated North Penn elementary libraries and will run from July 11 to Aug. 4 on Tuesday thru Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon. This program is free to students and covered through the district budget.
- The Elementary ELD (English Language Development) Summer Program reinforces and strengthens newly acquired English language skills for beginner English students entering grades 1-6. A variety of techniques to improve oral, listening, speaking and writing skills is provided. Students are introduced to nonfiction literature. Teacher lessons are aligned to Pennsylvania Department of Education ELD Standards. The program will run from July 5 to July 28, Monday thru Thursday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Through Title III funding, this program is free to students.
- Summer School for Students in Grades 9-12 is a credit-recovery program for students eligible to remediate any course they earned a "E” (eligible) that is credit-bearing. Students are able to remediate up to two full credits; any additional remediated credits must be approved by the student’s HOOF. The courses are held online via Edgenuity; there will be in-person support Monday through Thursday from 8-11 a.m. at NPHS. Online support will run Monday through Thursday from 8-11 as well. The courses and support will run from June 27 to July 28; there will be a grace period until July 31 to complete outstanding work. Special education case managers will also be assigned to any student with an IEP. This program is free to all students. It will cost the school district approximately $20,000.
Additionally, summer camps are held through the Extended School Care and Community Education programs. Offerings vary from day camps to specialty camps in the areas of sports, music, theater, sciences, art and more. At a nominal cost, these summer programs are open to all ages. More specific information will be available soon.
Through these summer programs, we hope to provide enrichment and learning opportunities to students who need extra support to meet their goals. Any student, regardless of financial need, should have access to the education they deserve.
Sincerely,
Al Roesch
NPSD Board of School Directors
Term Expiration: 2025
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