Although school just ended on June 22, teachers began training last week for the start of a variety of summer programs that will serve 650 students in Westfield over the next six weeks. Most of the programs are overseen by Susan Dargie, director of curriculum and instruction, and Christine Shea, director of assessment and accountability.
“We collaborate in overseeing all the summer programs. We oversee the grants that fund them; we’re involved in planning and hiring a coordinator for each program,” Dargie said. “Most of the summer programs provide additional support for students over the summer — to keep them on track for the next school year.”
Dargie said the training for summer school, which she called a big umbrella that has a lot of programs in it, began on July 1.
A program that helps Grades 1 through 5 students with additional reading at Highland Elementary runs from July 6-30, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The principals recommend certain students, and coordinators call them to see if they’re interested, Dargie said.
The Summer Academy is run by Kate Perez, who is stepping into a new role as assistant principal at Westfield Intermediate School next year, and English learner program supervisor Anna Antropova. Dargie said the Summer Academy is for English learners as well. “It’s an integrated program with two teachers in every classroom, an ESL and classroom teacher. We invite students; the goal is to have half who are in the EL program integrated into the Summer Academy.”
Also brand new this year is a collaboration that Shea spearheaded with the Western Mass Summer Earn & Learn program, under Laura Porter at Elms College and Stefanie Grimaldi at Westfield State. “We are getting four pre-service teachers that attend Elms College and Westfield State. They are working our summer program at Highland under the direction of WPS literacy coach Kolby Palmer, reading interventionist at Munger Hill.”
Dargie said the college students will be mentored by Palmer and will provide reading intervention, which helps to bolster a collaboration with the colleges. She and Shea visited the training in Springfield last year. “We’re glad to be part of that this year,” she said.
Dargie said while the academy will focus on literacy skills, they will still use Project Lead the Way as a project-based curriculum to develop math and science skills.
“One other cool thing about the Summer Academy is that it will be a screen-free environment, one of the big trends right now,” Dargie said. “COVID put us in this screen-happy, everything digital [place]. It’s too much, and kids are dysregulated. One of the things we’re working on is more screen-free times.” She said they will not transport Chromebooks to the Summer Academy as they have in the past. This year, the teachers are planning activities for the entire day that do not involve Chromebooks.
The other summer program at Highland Elementary will be a two-week preschool program from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., funded by a Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative grant. She said the grant will support four preschool classrooms.
“This is a more robust program. We did ask teachers to recommend students that they felt would benefit. In some cases, they may be a student who didn’t start preschool until later in the year and didn’t have as much time with their peers, or an English learner, or students that have had early intervention in the past. We first ask teachers for recommendations, then we go from there,” Dargie said.
Another program running from Monday to Thursday, June 6-30, is the special education extended school year for students who have an extended year in their individual education plans. Dargie said this program is under the supervision of Greg Rosenthal, administrator of special education and related services. The extended school will be held at Westfield River Elementary School. It is a large program of 125 students of all grade levels.
Summer School credit recovery at Westfield High School will also run the same four weeks in two-week sessions for students who have failed a class and want to make it up. Dargie said kids can still sign up for credit recovery, which is run by WHS Adjustment Counselor Joseph Fiore.
This summer will also feature transition programs at Westfield Intermediate School for rising fourth graders, Westfield Middle School for rising seventh graders, and Westfield High School for rising ninth graders.
“These transition programs are for the kids that need them, who are anxious about a change and at risk. We’re looking at kids who could really benefit. The communication happens between the sending schools,” Dargie said. She said registration is closed for the four-day transition program at WIS, which has 150 students signed up. The transition program at WMS is two days, and the one at WHS is four days.
Dargie said the one summer program that is open to everyone who has a year of instrumental music under their belt is the summer band program. “Summer band is open to all students going into fifth grade who were in band in fourth grade, and on up.” She said the summer band program this year will be held the last week of July and the first week of August at the Westfield Middle School, and they are still taking kids. The contacts are Emily Baker and Patrick Kennedy for those who are interested.
Dargie said every year, Westfield continues to improve its summer programs. One important component is to feed the students in summer school. She said if the program is required and meets federal guidelines, such as the Summer Academy, the preschool program, and the extended year special education program, food will be provided through Rachel Kania and Westfield Eats.
For the other programs, Dargie said Kania provides nutritious snacks for the students. This year, the district also partnered with the Boys & Girls summer meal sites and even registered Westfield High School as a site for box lunches for the students in the credit recovery and transition programs at the school. The Westfield Middle School transition program will also walk over to the Boys & Girls Club and have lunch and learn more about the programs.
“Kellie (Brown) and Bo (Sullivan) have been wonderful in coordinating that with us. That’ s something that has evolved over time,” Dargie said.
The last program, funded through Title I family engagement, is a home visit program for preschoolers and incoming kindergarteners. “We’ve been doing it for a number of years,” Dargie said. Teachers are hired as an interviewer and assistant. The interviewer is a kindergarten teacher, or another teacher, who makes an appointment with the family. She said the program is optional.
“We introduce families when they come for screening. Most families welcome this. If a family doesn’t want to meet in the home, they can bring the child to school or meet in a neutral space like the Athenaeum. While the assistant plays with the child, the teacher speaks with the parents,” Dargie said.
“We bring a bag of goodies to work with the kids, and leave items with the family, like a book, and then send a follow-up postcard. It’s a chance for parents to talk about the child’s challenges,” Dargie said. Teachers are trained, according to Dargie, and can make their own schedule for a 45-minute visit. She said the program, coordinated by kindergarten teacher Kelley Maher, has been very successful for Westfield.
“We have fabulous coordinators, we really do,” Dargie said.
Westfield launches summer school programs for 650 students across the city - masslive.com