Each student at Cross Creek receives a bag filled with supplies during the last week of school. Included are two sheets that students can set a goal to achieve over the summer and track their progress. They also get a Summer Bridge Activities book filled with activities for math, science, social studies, and physical education.
Put together by K-5 Academic Specialists Liz Veldheer, Kristin Scherkenbach, and Principal Joe Nieuwkoop, the Summer Learning program is a simplified way for students to curb potential learning loss and be ready when school resumes in the fall. It fits for parents who want to have something for their kids to do over the summer but isn’t overwhelming.
“They can still pick books that they like to read throughout the summer that they’re motivated to read,” said Veldheer, whose two children attend Cross Creek. “If they’re doing the bridge book pages, I always told my kids to pick the pages that look like fun. You don't have to go in sequential order, just pick the ones that are interesting to you and eventually they'll get through all those pages. It offers them some choice. What kid doesn’t like having a little bit of say in how and when and what types of activities they get to do?”
Teachers get the ball rolling for summer learning in the last week of the school year by completing the pages from the bridge book and reading the first chapter together so students can get a good understanding before the break.
“They just have to continue reading it instead of getting started,” Veldheer said. “They can do a couple things to try to build that momentum before the end of the school year.”
The goals can range from reading five stories with mom and dad for younger students to completing a few chapter books, incentivizing older students to explore new genres. Each step is marked with a paw print on the take-home sheet.
As they complete their goals, students send in pre-printed postcards to the school that enter them into a drawing for an ice cream treat, not just for themselves, but the whole family. To wrap up the program, each student who completed it is entered in another drawing for a chance to win $25 to spend on books.
“We try to have them set some sort of summer goal for themselves, so we know that’s pretty powerful,” Veldheer said.
The staff at Cross Creek are always looking for ways to improve the program, having pivoted to the more simplified version two years ago. Students going into grades four through eight also get a book picked by teachers for a summer book club that will serve as a launching point for exercises in the fall. It’s one example of how the school has outperformed the district for 16 years.
“They do different focus lessons and they can talk about some of their beginning reading comprehension strategies,” Veldheer said. “They do different activities when they come back to school with that one shared experience.”
Great job, Cross Creek!
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About Cross Creek Charter Academy
Cross Creek Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Byron Center, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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