Students from across Huntsville City Schools are currently taking part in two free Summer Learning Academies the district offered as part of its Road to Recovery Plan. The ongoing programs are meeting in-person at select sites across the district and provide students with targeted opportunities to maintain and improve their academic skills.
The middle grades program focuses on reading, English, and mathematics using hands-on, project-based approaches to keep students actively engaged, while the high school program focuses on ACT reading, ACT English, ACT writing, ACT mathematics, and ACT science.
Ms. Allyn Russell, the Summer Learning Facilitator, pointed out that combating summer learning loss, often referred to as the summer slide, is particularly important this year due to COVID-19, and so this extra opportunity helps ensure students have mastered standards before they enter the next grade level. Teachers are also working to rebuild a positive outlook on school for students who endured the challenges of the global pandemic.
“This is our opportunity to get back into the fun of learning,” Ms. Russell said.
It’s also a chance for students to experience many enrichment activities that they might not have been able to experience in the same way during remote or blended learning, such as physical education and art.
As Ms. Russell pointed out, “Jumping on any kind of learning right now is going to be very important for our students.”
The two four-week academies will continue through July 2, 2021.