The dog days of summer are not so lazy for some Morgan Hill
students, who attempt to improve their grade point average, pass a
difficult class or maybe just get the extra help they need in
specific subjects. Students in the Morgan Hill School District are
busy studying their summer away at El Toro Elementary for the
youngest students, and middle school and high school students at
Live Oak High. Although some students consider summer school a
punishment for not hitting the books hard enough during the school
year, it also gives kids who are struggling a chance to catch up on
what they didn
’t learn during the school year.
The dog days of summer are not so lazy for some Morgan Hill students, who attempt to improve their grade point average, pass a difficult class or maybe just get the extra help they need in specific subjects.
Students in the Morgan Hill School District are busy studying their summer away at El Toro Elementary for the youngest students, and middle school and high school students at Live Oak High.
Although some students consider summer school a punishment for not hitting the books hard enough during the school year, it also gives kids who are struggling a chance to catch up on what they didn’t learn during the school year.
“This year, Brett (Lee, Live Oak High assistant principal) and Tim (McGuire, Live Oak High counselor) did a really good job of recruiting the kids,” said Pat Blanar, director of curriculum and assessment for the district. “They made an effort to find the kids that really needed to be in summer school this year. They personally sent them letters and invited the students, made an effort to contact the parents and let them know that it is important that their kids attend.”
Many kids taking summer school don’t seem to mind it, although some would prefer a true summer vacation.
Jaime, 16, who did not want to give his last name, said he was not happy to be attending summer school at Live Oak.
“It’s really stupid, ‘cause I have to get up early, just like regular school,” he said. “And it really cuts into my time, you know.”
While other students may share Jaime’s feelings, others still find time to work and to have fun.
“It’s not so bad,” 15-year-old Daisy Lara said. “I think it’s easier than during the school year.”
Daisy, who said she still finds time to hold down a job, is taking English. Her brother, Adrian, 17, is also taking English.
“You know, it’s not really a big deal,” he said. “It’s easy, and we can still do other stuff.”
Brenda Caloca, 16, also studying English, was not exactly enthusiastic about summer school, although she said, “It’s okay.”
This year, 1,355 students are enrolled in summer education programs at the two school sites. Keeping only two schools open for the summer programs is essential to keep costs down and still provide a quality learning environment, Blanar said.
“That means then you need a principal for each site, plus a secretary, plus yard dutys, plus someone to feed the kids,” Blanar said. “Consolidating the programs as much as possible saves us money.”
By saving money, she said, the district can afford to make teaching summer school a little more attractive for the educators willing to sacrifice their summers.
“We can offer a little more, make the pay a little more competitive,” said Blanar. “This year, we were able to recruit more of our own teachers. Many times, we have teachers who are not our own and it’s nice to have this group this year.”
Elementary Summer School Principal Irene Macias-Morriss, who serves as Central High’s principal during the regular school year, said last week that the staff and students this year have had a good experience.
“Everything has run so smoothly this year, and we really have a great bunch of kids and teachers,” she said. “We have a wonderful staff; so many of them return every year, they have the routine down pat. And the students who come at the elementary level are coming because they need extra help in reading, math and written language. We are into our second week, and already we see a lot of growth with these students.”
When they come to summer school, Macias-Morriss said, the students are ready to work.
“It’s time to get serious, no time for playing,” she said. “These kids are great, they really buckle down and get to work. We haven’t had any behavioral problems, we are having fun. (Summer school) does have a different feeling than during the regular year. You are really focused, for a few hours a day, for four weeks. It’s very concentrated, which helps the students really zero in on their challenges.”
There are so many kids enrolled in school this summer, Macias-Morriss said, El Toro is operating just like it will when school starts in the fall.
“Every inch of El Toro is being used,” she said. “We have 450 students in 20 regular education classes and eight special day classes. We have speech teachers, we have specialists working with orthopedically handicapped students.”
Fortunately for summer school students, class doesn’t drag on all day. Elementary students attend classes from 8:30am to 12:30pm during the week. Middle schoolers attend from 8am to 12:30pm and high school students are in class from 8:30am to 1pm.
Students are taking classes at the high school level in subjects ranging from algebra to geometry to history to literacy support classes. Elementary students focus on the basics of reading, writing and math.
“Some of these students haven’t passed the high school exit exam, some needed to pass a class in order to graduate,” Blanar said. “We’ll have a small graduation on the 29th for those who finish up their requirements.”
In the past, perhaps five or six years earlier, Blanar said students could take classes to “get ahead,” and not just as a remedial measure.
“But the state changed the way it funded summer school education, and now the money comes out of remedial funds,” she said.
The number of students in the district who take advantage of the summer school opportunity has increased, Blanar said, not because kids are needing more help than in the past, but because district staff is doing a better job of reaching out to those students who do need help.
“I think the high numbers reflect that our administrators are doing a better job of finding those students who are falling through the cracks,” she said. “It’s like an intervention. We planned this in January and February, and I’m so proud of the counselors, the assistant principals and principals. They really got out there and found those kids. They visited the middle schools and targeted the seventh and eighth grade students who were slipping.
“We’re getting much better at identifying those students who really need extra help much earlier, and that is so much better. It will make such a big difference. Before they get to the point where, it’s too overwhelming, they think, that what’s the point, and then they just drop out. We’re truly grabbing them before they slip down that slope.”
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at md****@*************es.com or phoning (408)779-4106 Ext. 202.
