POULSBO — Summer school in the North Kitsap School District starts at the end of June, and there’s a lot more to look forward to than in the past.
Mary Blocher of the district’s Teaching and Learning Department said summer school now offers enrichment classes for grades 3-8 and, also new, credit retrieval and advanced credit for high school students.
“We’re just really excited in our district to be able to expand and try some things we haven’t been able to do in a long time,” Blocher said.
Overall, summer school is now offered to all students, from current kindergartners to next year’s seniors. Five-week summer courses start June 29 and continue through July 30 at Poulsbo Elementary School, Poulsbo Middle School and North Kitsap High School.
From kindergarten through eighth grade, “summer school is a summer experience in reading and writing and math,” Blocher said.
“We really want to avoid the summer slump,” she added. “We want to help kids continue that path of keeping things they learned all through the year.”
Blocher said this portion of summer school, which she called “intervention summer school,” is mostly for students who are on the fence — their skills are at grade level or they might be struggling to maintain their skills during the summer. With summer school, those students will be able “to continue to kind of hold on to those skills and not see that slumping happen.”
This part of the summer school program is free to all students.
In summer school offered for grades 9-12, students can retake failed classes that are required for graduation, or get a head start on their graduation requirements.
These summer school courses are $250 per course, $50 for students who qualify for reduced lunch or $25 for students who qualify for free lunch. There is an online option for only $150.
An enrichment program for any interested student in grade 3-8 includes acting, cooking, drums and percussion, Spanish and more.
“What’s really great is [these classes are taught by] teachers who have applied to do some out-of-the-box classes,” Blocher said.
Enrichment classes cost $150 per course, $50 for students who qualify for reduced lunch or $25 for students who qualify for free lunch.
“These enrichment classes, I’ve had several parents right away (with) lots of questions and interest,” Blocher said. “There is that need out there. We’re very excited to see that going.”
Also new this year, Blocher said, is the district will be offering transportation. Students who usually attend a different elementary, middle or high school during the school year will be able to be picked up at their regular school and transported to the school where they’ll take summer courses.
In past years, summer school was only offered as an intervention program because of lack of funding, but Blocher said that increased funding this year enabled them to expand. They’ll even be able to accept students from nearby school districts.
“We can look at a whole new population of students, not just our kids,” Blocher said. “(We’re excited to) open it up to a wider range of families and kids.”
For more information, go to the website or call Blocher at 360-396-3092.
