Last week all of our local schools completed the 2018-2019 school year.  There were many sighs of relief from students and teachers alike. On the other hand, there may have been a few groans from parents as they grapple with what to do with their children over the next two months. 

Of course, there are many summer camps and options from which to choose but students can also learn while at home or even on vacation.  Selma City Schools wants to ensure that our scholars are exposed to continuous, quality learning by providing our students with access to Edgenuity during the summer.  Edgenuity is a leading online, standards-based resource for students in grades K-12.  It is specifically designed to improve learning outcomes.

Our scholars used this tool during the school year and can continue using it at home.  Students will have a wealth of information at their fingertips that can be reviewed as many times as necessary to achieve mastery.  This individualized instruction is intended to meet the needs of each scholar.

Additionally, MyOn offers thousands of books to include those on our summer reading list.  This online library has been a big hit with our families for the last two years.  Many of our scholars have improved their reading level as they have discovered the joy of reading.  Students are encouraged to read each book on their reading list and especially the required book for their grade-level and take the online assessment. 

Participating students will be recognized at the beginning of the school year for their hard work.  I look forward to celebrating our amazing readers this fall!

Using Edgenuity and MyOn are two sure ways to counter the summer slide.  Summer slide is the term used to describe the summer learning loss that can occur over summer break.  Research indicates that students can lose as much as two months of reading skills and two and a half months of math skills over a single summer.

Furthermore, 9 out of 10 teachers have to re-teach material when students return to school in the fall.  Teachers spend form 4-6 weeks re-teaching content due to the summer slide. 

Students who read or are engaged in other forms of learning even for just 3-4 hours a week can prevent the summer slide.  Team Selma recommends at least 20 minutes of reader each day.

Yes, school is out but learning must continue!  Parents, please check out our website, social media outlets or call your child’s school for more information on summer reading and summer learning dates and locations.  Happy Summer!

For more information, email me at avis.williams@selmacityschools.org.