Active kids are more likely to succeed, say Columbus and Lowndes County elementary school principals, urging parents to keep children engaged in learning activities, even when their school days have ended for the summer.
Students at Joe Cook Elementary Fine Arts Magnet School will be dismissed for the summer Thursday morning, but will be engaged until then with “enrichment” activities, class award programs and field trips.
“It”s going to go very, very fast,” said Principal Lois Kappler, noting children will be able to use Study Island — a software program on which they”ve been working during the school year — at home during their summer vacation.
“As they acquire a skill, it leads them into games they can play,” she said of the software, which she called “a big tool” in education. “In addition, we always let our students and parents have a list of the top 10 things they need in the next school year, academically. The parents already will know what kind of skills they”ll start the next year off with, so they can work on those things.”
Cook will offer a “research-based” summer camp starting after Memorial Day, but parents play a large role in ensuring the academic success of their children in the upcoming school year, especially by helping them gain experiences and life skills, like learning to cook or play a musical instrument.
“We do encourage our students to keep busy and to read,” Kappler said. “(We encourage) anything they can do to keep those skills. Research shows when children start (back to school) in August, they lose about four to six weeks (of knowledge earlier gained). Part of that is from staying up late at night, zoning out and watching TV. It is important to keep them active and getting experiences on which to build. That doesn”t just mean going on vacation. (For example,) it”d be great to see them using their writing skills, even during the summer, through keeping a journal.”
“We”re teaching up until the last day of school,” said Franklin Elementary Medical Sciences and Wellness Magnet School Principal Patricia Overstreet. “We are sending home summer reading lists to encourage students to continue reading during the summer and helpful hints in how parents can keep their students involved. We”re encouraging children to participate in summer camps and reading programs at the library, so they stay active and, with our wellness theme, we”re encouraging them to be active every day.”
Officials at West Lowndes Elementary School are waiting for approval of a proposed summer enrichment camp during which students will be invited to “participate in extra activities in skills and math and reading,” said Principal Robert Sanders, noting West Lowndes students break for the summer May 20. “In the past, we”ve done a summer reading camp for our kids; it”s been strictly a volunteer-type thing where they”re here for four hours a day during June.”
“It”s very important,” he said of keeping children active to help them retain the knowledge they gained during the school year. “It”s like any other talent or skill you obtain. If you don”t use it, you lose it and then you have to start over and we have to play catch-up. It”s very important for parents to have their children involved in some type of activity, even if the schools don”t offer anything, whether it”s at the YMCA or local churches.”
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