Our Summer Academic Camp is an eight week intense program for students entering 1st – 8th grade. The program runs from 7:30 – 6:00, Monday – Friday. Students focus on reading with the help of certified teachers, youth counselors and volunteer tutors. Students are expected to read from 8:30 – 11:30 each morning. The program uses “Accelerated Reader” to track each students progress. They are given a lunch and then exposed to a variety of activities including field trips to the pool, the movies, the theater, or the zoo; private music lessons; dance lessons; the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art; the Kansas City Library; or other fun activities. Students are given a lite dinner.
Reading: Each student is tested at the beginning of the program in the STAR system to understand the grade level they are reading on. Then, each day from 4:00 – 5:00, the students read books based on that reading level. The goal is to have each student work with a tutor to enhance the reading process, and encourage the student to stay on task. Once the book is completed, the student walks to the computer lab to take a comprehension quiz on the book they have just read. These tests are provided by a program called, “Accelerated Reader.” The test helps our teachers evaluate how the student is progressing at the grade level and once they are scoring 80% or above consistently, they are moved up to the next level.
Each reading level is broken down to grade level and month level. For example, 2.1 is second grade, first month. Reading is the center of the program. As the semester comes to a close, the students are tested again in the STAR system to see how much they have progressed. In 2008, 96% of our students showed an increase in reading level.
Math: We also offer math for our students. Math is essential to the education of our students. More sophisticated tutors are used to work with students one on one in math. Tutors will also work with students on homework involving math. Recently, we tested the math software used by the Kansas City, KS school district, and are exploring programs.
Nutrition & Wellness: Nutrition and wellness is an important aspect of our students’ growth. Each student is provided with a nutritious dinner every afternoon. The meal is included in the program at no cost to the family. Also, we recently began working with the Calvary Fitness Center to provide nutritional education, and exercise opportunities, including running, bicycle, climbing wall, fencing, and games.
Music, Dance & Art: Students are also provided with private music lessons. In 2009, students were given private music lessons, including trumpet, clarinet, sax, flute, piano and percussion. The Music Program targets 3rd – 5th graders. The instruments are available to students at a discounted cost so they can continue practicing throughout the year or if they leave the program. We also have students participating in the dance program. Nelson-Atkins has partnered with us to provide an art program for our students. It is extremely successful and allows us to hire teachers focused on reading, while our students still receive the benefits of the arts instruction.
Field Trips: Another component of the program is field trips. Field trips include the movies, the Coterie Theater, the Kansas City Zoo, and other activities in the metropolitan area. Field trips provide an outlet of fun and a reward for the students’ hard work on reading and math. They also benefit the local community businesses and become part of our neighborhood model.
All of this is FREE to our families. Our program is open to all students, regardless of family income. Our students are not required to pass a reading level. We employ teachers who speak multiple languages to work with parents that do not speak English as a first language. We try our best to accommodate all of our applicants. We do not turn any students away until our capacity has been met.
For more information on how to enroll your student in Summer Academic Camp, please call us at 816-363-3819.