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Part II: ‘What's going on this summer?'

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Last week, I began a series called “What's going on this summer?” This collection of columns focuses on the activities that are taking place in Leander ISD in order to get ready for the new school year. While you might not have been surprised to learn of all the staff development opportunities that I addressed last week, you may be startled to discover how active LISD students are during the summer. For many students, June and July mean one of two things - summer school or camps. Both of these programs are great services for our students, helping them reach for greatness, both academically and athletically.

This summer, more than 1,200 students are taking advantage of academic programs in Leander ISD, with the largest number - about 820 students - enrolling in summer school. Our district offers summer school for secondary students who are seeking either credit recovery or original credit. This year, classes are being held at Vista Ridge High School. Session I began June 17 and will run until July 9, while Session II will begin July 20 and run through Aug. 7. Classes are half-day and meet from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Subjects offered range from English, math, science, social studies, communications, art, Spanish and electives.

For students seeking credit recovery, summer school offers them an opportunity to make up classes they may not have passed the first time around. It is a chance for them to earn the credit they need to graduate on time. Other students, those who may have an overloaded schedule during the regular school year, can get ahead during the summer by earning original credit. This creates flexibility in the classes they may take during the regular school year and may potentially allow them to graduate early.

Our summer school program is very successful, and some students even find the setting and smaller class size are benefits they enjoy.

For other students who are seeking non-traditional educational experiences, LISD also offers academic camps. This year, these camps have more than 360 students enrolled, and include cartoon camp, historical inquiry camp, new-to-PACE math camp, Spanish camp for elementary students, robotics camp and writing camp. These camps, as you can imagine, are very popular and cover topics at deeper levels for students who have a real interest in them.

The most popular summer activities for students during the summer are Leander ISD's sports camps. As of press time, more than 2,900 students had already enrolled in one of our basketball, baseball, dance, volleyball, softball, football, high school strength and conditioning, games, tennis, track or wrestling camps. Students may participate in these camps for a variety of reasons - some are encouraged by their coaches to attend a camp to further refine their skills, some want to simply stay in shape during the summer months and still others may sign up for personal interest. LISD's sports camps aren't just for middle and high school students either. Younger students may also participate in camps specifically designed for their age groups.

I'm very pleased to say that in our continuing effort to “Go Green” this year, registration for both summer school and sports camps went online, eliminating both the need for thousands of copies and the hassle for parents of having to drive to the administration building to register in person. Online registration allows parents to pay online as well, thus streamlining the registration process. Our summer programs provide a great service to our students, and we strive to offer them in the most user-friendly and environmentally-conscious ways possible.

Indeed, our students are very active and involved during the summer. They are applying themselves athletically and academically, so they can begin the 2009-2010 school year better prepared. The success of LISD summer school and camps hinges on the hard work of LISD's coaches, teachers, principals and support staff who make them possible, and I thank them all for helping LISD do right and good by our students. These programs are just two more ways Leander ISD can answer the question, “What's going on during the summer?”

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