The Richmond County School System’s Board of Education met March 9, 2021 and announced its summer programs, funded by Cares Act 2 money.
The school system’s elementary summer learning program will combine summer school with summer camp for K-5th grade students. The program, held at each elementary school, will run Monday through Thursday from June 7 to June 24. It will include four hours of content, and times are yet to be determined. Transportation, breakfast and lunch will be provided. Parents can choose face-to-face instruction or online learning. The curriculum will include a personalized emphasis on reading and math. Registration will take place after the third quarter.
“If you were virtual during the school year, and you are comfortable this June coming face-to-face, come on, we would love to have you in the building with us,” Committee Member Malinda Cobb said.
Students who participate will be tested near the end of the program. They will either take the 4th IReady Diagnostic or the reading and math Georgia Milestone assessments. There is no cost to parents for the summer learning program.
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Middle School students will be offered a similar program, Monday through Thursday, June 7 to June 24. The school system will determine the times of the 4-hour program in the near future.
Richmond County School System plans to repeat last year’s high school virtual learning summer school program, June 1 through July 1. It will include eighth graders who took high school credits, but did not pass them during the regular school year. A new component of the summer school program is that students will have the opportunity to earn three credits instead of two. Electives, including a SAT prep course, will also be available for students who passed all their classes during the 2020-2021 school year. Registration takes place through the high schools’ guidance counselors after the third quarter.
For students who just “want to have a little fun,” the school system is offering a virtual summer camp, June 14-24, according to Cobb.
A virtual cyber camp will run June 7 through July 1.
The month of July will consist of in-person camps for Richmond County students. The camps will include fine arts programs and a two-week camp held at the Merriam Barnes School Center.
Orientation for in-coming freshmen will take place in July at each high school.
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Its pre-K summer transition program depends upon the school system obtaining Bright From The Start grant money.
“Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) provides resources for child care and early learning programs that make a commitment to improve the quality of services they provide.” according to the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning website.
Cobb said if the school system receives the grant money, it will offer three pre-K programs targeted at students who did not attend preschool programs because of COVID-19, participated in only online learning or have been identified as students with additional needs such as homelessness or having an IEP.
The pre-K programs will run Monday through Thursday, June 1 to July 20. They will last for 6.5 hours per day. The class sizes will range from 10 to 12 students.
“We believe that we have covered the full spectrum to make sure there is something available for everyone,” Cobb said.
In other news, the school system announced that it hired Augusta State University graduate Yvette Clanton for a teacher position at Willis Foreman Elementary School. Paine College graduate Priscilla Alexander will take over as the math curriculum coordinator for the Department of Teaching and Learning.
Shellie Smitley is a staff writer for The Augusta Press. Reach her at shellie@theaugustapress.com
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