LH summer camp proves to be successful
Almost 400 students in the Laurel Highlands School District have spent much of the past six weeks back in the classroom, as part of the district’s annual Summer Reading and Math Camp. And while many of them might not have been thrilled to give up some of their summer vacation, the extra effort this summer should pay off during the school year ahead, according to the program’s coordinator.
Carol Bubonovich, director of federal programs and elementary curriculum coordinator, said the program has grown considerably since she was able to secure grant funding to pay for transportation to the camp, eliminating the biggest obstacle to attendance.
“Some students just couldn’t get here, but now we can get them here,” she said. “It’s really made a difference in our program.”
This year, the camp operated at three sites: R.W. Clark Elementary, Laurel Highlands Middle School and Laurel Highlands High School. Placement was based on grade level. Bubonovich said this year’s camp, which wrapped up Thursday, has had the highest attendance yet.
A recent visit by a state Department of Education official revealed that the district’s program is being considered as a statewide model.
“Compared to the other programs that I have visited throughout western Pennsylvania, Laurel Highlands stands among the ‘top,'” wrote Ginney K. Duffey, Ph.D., lead adviser/regional consultant for the statewide EAP (Enhancing Academic Performance) Tutoring Initiative, which provides funding to districts to offer programs like the one at Laurel Highlands.
Students are referred to the camp if they score below proficient on the state standardized tests or under the 50th percentile on the Terra Nova tests. Teachers can make referrals based on the third nine-week report card grades and parents can also suggest their child attend the camp.
“Sometimes parents will see things that we don’t,” Bubonovich said.
As part of the freshman academy program starting this fall, some eighth-grade students entering the high school later this year are taking part in the camp. Next year, any eighth-grade student who does not perform well in a subject will be required to participate in the summer camp before advancing to the high school, she said.
At the end of each week, participants are given different incentives for coming to the camp, including bubble pens, rulers, pennants and visors. At the close of the program, each student who has made an effort to attend leaves with a T-shirt.
Students are tested at the outset of camp and are tested at the camp’s end to gauge the program’s success. Bubonovich said the district must show that at least 80 percent of the students who participated have shown improvement.
“The kids get a lot of help in five weeks,” she said. “The teachers sit with each child, while aides are able to review and drill and set up the lessons.”
Forty teachers are involved in the camp, along with many teacher aides. Two teachers are doing internships toward their principal certification papers, while another person is serving as administrator for the middle and high school programs.
The program is refined annually, based on feedback from students, parents and teachers involved in the camp. Parents get an opportunity to sit in their child’s class for one day just to see what kind of attention they are getting and to learn different strategies that they can use at home.
“We’re always fine-tuning it and getting it to where we want it to be,” Bubonovich said. “Everyone has really done a great job.”
Alisa Rolaf, whose daughter will be entering second grade this fall, said the summer camp has helped her daughter improve her reading skills. Her daughter took part in the camp after kindergarten, when her test scores showed that she needed some extra attention.
Since that time, her scores have gotten better and her confidence in her reading skill has increased, she said.
Rolaf said her daughter, a Clark student, has had the chance to interact with other students from other schools and experience new teachers. During a recent visit to the school, she saw her daughter in a class with six other students, a class size that’s not possible during the school year.
“I think more parents should utilize it, because it can’t hurt,” Rolaf said. “You can never get too much education.”
A number of funding sources help pay for the summer camp, including the 21st Century Learning Communities Grant, Title I funds, EAP Tutoring Initiative grant, and a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
Some of those same funds are used for the district’s after-school tutoring program, which will resume not long after the start of the 2005-06 school year.