Enhanced Offerings Through the Summer Program at PUSD

By Tara Fort

For Prescott Unified School District (PUSD) Instructional Coach Lisa Hosking and Granite Mountain Math and Science Teacher Emma Gifford, the school year doesn’t just end in May. Both Hosking and Gifford are part of the summer program made possible through the Frontier Rotary/21st Century Community Learning Center Grant Program, offering summer school for K-6 grades in the district.  This year, in addition to academics, the grant has allowed the schools to add activities such as dance, sewing, teambuilding, coding and math games, plus two classes dedicated to helping students who are struggling to learn to read led by PUSD reading specialists Karen Benson and Melissa Scott.

For Granite Mountain students, summer school is a way to focus on introducing and readying the new 5th graders to the campus for the fall semester. Says Gifford, “We hear from parents that the incoming 5th graders are really nervous, transitioning from one set of friends to a bigger broader set that includes students they didn’t know the year before. The best part is when the schools merge, so students are provided a fun way to make new friends before August comes.”  For all students the classes are designed to keep kids active, focused, engaged and enchanted with learning. Says Hosking, “We focus on a continued daily reading practice and encourage students to read throughout the summer.”  Field trips to the new Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium and Heritage Park Zoo, coupled with mini-projects such as cultivating a hand-grown garden, allow students to experience the fun of smaller classes and enrichment through co-teaching and re-teaching.

Summer school once had a reputation associated with “making up for time lost in the school year.” Today, that objective is practically non-existent. The program has seen an increase in the number of students who participate. Initially 125 initially enrolled in the program and 80-90 attended on a regular basis. States Hosking, “We are expecting between 150 and 170 students this summer, and have a dedicated and talented staff ready to teach them.” The program is open to anyone who would like to attend.

This year, the summer program will add meals through the Hungry Kids Project. During the regular school year, this project provides weekend food within four adjoining school districts.  For the summer program, students at Granite Mountain will walk to Abia Judd for breakfast during the weekdays. Says Lincoln School Principal Karen Hughes, “PUSD is a proud sponsor, partner and recipient of the Hungry Kids Project.  A few years ago, we saw our need increase around hunger and poverty in our own neighborhood, and we decided to start focusing our school-raised reading funds locally.” Throughout the year, the combined school serve almost 500 students each week in the Hungry Kids program. Those meals serve an estimated 733 homeless children.  The need to support is profound and important. Says Hughes, “Our school nurses are very discreet with the referral process. If they see a need with one of our families, that need gets met. The expressions on the faces of these parents, grandparents, siblings and guardians for their kids to have food is one of relief and gratitude.” The meals are paid for by the Yavapai Community Foundation.

With robust curriculum offerings, and breakfast to start the day, it is easy to see why the summer program is beneficial.  PUSD Superintendent Joe Howard has high regard for the educators who are part of the summer program and the Hungry Kids program.  Says Howard, “In our continual effort to personalize education to each student’s needs, this summer school program and all of the support for it has evolved perfectly for the needs of every child, every day.  The focus on a growth mindset and enrichment for all involved is what is making education better and better in PUSD.  The educators involved in this program are a true picture of professional education innovation, and our kiddos are in for a treat this summer!”

For more information about Prescott Unified School District visit www.prescottschools.com