Grant pays for two summer school sessions

In the week before classes ended June 4,  the Baker School District learned it would have extra money to fund a summer school program aimed at helping students meet math and reading benchmarks, says Betty Palmer, South Baker principal.

The $52,000 grant will fund two separate “intensive three-week” programs with the first session starting Monday.

Class time is 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Monday through Thursday, with the first session continuing through July 1, Palmer said.

Breakfast will be served daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11:45 a.m. to noon.

Students who were in Grades 1-3 this year will attend summer school at Brooklyn Primary, 1350 Washington Ave. Those who were in Grades 4-5 this year will attend South Baker Intermediate, 1285 Third St.

A transition program for kindergartners and sixth-graders will be added during the second session, which is scheduled Aug. 2-Aug. 19, Palmer said.

Transportation to the outlying areas, such as Durkee and Haines, will be provided during the August session, Palmer said. Parents of students living in town will be responsible for getting their children to classes.

“Every effort is being made to serve those students most in need of assistance,” Palmer said, but she added all students in this year’s kindergarten through sixth-grade classes are eligible for the program.

Brooklyn summer school teachers will be Susan Yen and Tawni Gall. The June session will be taught at South Baker by teachers Theresa Bourrie and Julie Stout and the August session will be taught by Jorja Culley and Chelsea Hurliman.

Palmer said other staff is standing by in case more students than expected show up for the program.

In an effort to encourage attendance during the summer, Palmer said those who participate in at least 85 percent of the classes will be invited to attend a field trip to the Pendleton water park at the end of each session.

Palmer said the district learned this spring through Jerry Peacock, Baker High School principal, that unexpended stimulus money was available for summer programs.

The district applied and learned just before the school year ended that the application had been successful, Palmer said.

Students will alternate between working in small groups and working online through the Education City computer program, she said. A 15-minute break also is built into the daily schedule.