Tumwater School District (TSD) is featuring three programs to be offered during Summer School 2023.
“Tonight, I wanted to make sure I had a chance to review with you what we did for the summer of 2023 program, and I want to start by highlighting three programs,” Batstone said during the board meeting yesterday, August 24.
Batstone reported that the district conducted a summer school program at each elementary, middle, and high school level.
For the elementary level, the district integrated programs to look at students who were behind in English Language Arts (ELA), one of TSD’s priority focus areas.
“Our elementary program looked like a lot of fun and things were happening with kids. We don't miss an opportunity to provide additional help and support for kids struggling in ELA,” said Batstone. “ELA is a gatekeeper subject. And by that, we mean if kids don't learn or know how to read by the time they get to third and fourth grade, it can really be an uphill battle from there.”
For three weeks in July, TSD had an ocean life theme where they provided lunch and opportunities for students to engage in reading activities before having a pancake session with the students’ families on the last day of school.
“We invited 100 students in grades three to attend this particular program. Since ELA was our focus area, we wanted to make sure we did the decoding and comprehension,” added Batstone.
TSD created a summer STREAMS [Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, and Service] Camp for middle school.
“Our whole purpose in the secondary this year was to try to do connected field-based science,” said Batstone.
Batstone showed a video (38:33 timestamp) showcasing the STREAMS Camp, featuring this year’s three activities for middle schoolers– Drone Orienteering, Engineering Design, and One Water.
For the high school level, TSD implemented a forest and stream ecology program called Youth Engaged in Sustainable Systems (YESS).
“If you know Brian Hardcastle, he’s all about giving high school students the opportunity to not only earn credit but to also be involved in their community as well,” Batstone said.
The YESS program is a five to six-week field-based science learning course in collaboration with community and industry partners, intended for high school juniors and seniors.
In addition to YESS, TSD also has credit recovery programs for students who need to catch up in coursework, which helps them catch up, earn missing credits, and stay on track for graduation.
“Whenever I see community partners working with our kids and authentic, engaging experiences, that's what I think about when I think about our mission as a school district. We've been trying our best to encapsulate what it means to be engaged in continuous student learning in that caring environment,” said Batstone.
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