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May 16, 2008
From the Associate Director and Middle School Dean 5-16-2008
May 16, 2008
Ann Meissner
Summer is fast approaching, and it is important to plan for some academic activities for your children, in addition to the valuable recreational and relaxing pursuits we think of when we think of summer. As all teachers will tell you, students routinely require review during the first weeks/months of a school year because they have not been engaged in regular activities that continue to stimulate reading, writing, math and reasoning skills. To minimize the amount of necessary review and to encourage more long term retention of academic skills learned this year, a little bit of summer academics can go a long way.
There are a seemingly endless amount of summer camps available, and a simple Internet search will reveal many. There is also a binder with brochures from local summer camps at the front desk in the lobby. Listed below are several opportunities for classes and activities that are free and low cost. Additionally, a family can develop a routine that includes daily reading, journal writing, current event discussions, estimations of grocery bills, etc. to foster academic thinking during the summer months. Enjoy the longer days of summer without the pressure of homework, but make sure to keep your child actively engaged in using their brain!
o San Francisco Unified summer enrichment program – www.summergate.org
o Camp Ed Venture More, located at PHS –http://www.edventuremore.com/summer_camp/location-sf.htm
o Lango Kids for Spanish instruction - www.langokids.com
o Online learning/curriculum – www.k12.com
o Online reading community www.rif.org
o Public Libraries offer summer reading programs and contests.
o Ca. Dept of Ed offers reading lists by age and grade level – www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/readinglist.asp
o Volunteer in the areas of animal care, senior citizen companionship, and food service for low-income people – http://www.californiavolunteers.org/