Well most students are looking forward to the long summer break from classes there are a bunch who hit the books hard in the month of July.

Summer school classes offered by the Foothills School Division are turning out to be very successful with 356 students registering this past summer and 331 students completing the classes they signed up for - making that a 97 percent success rate.

Teacher Sarah Clark presented the results at the last FSD board meeting before the trustee elections.

The most popular class is a 10-C math prep class.

"Many students access that course and it is designed to help students jump between grade nine math to Grade 10-C math."

CALM is another class that is popular to get out of the way in the summer, along with physical education 10, and the basics English, Social, Math and Science.

The school also provides alternative times for writing diploma exams.

They also offer some perks to help encourage students like Toast Tuesdays, when they get to have hot toast before hitting the books in the morning.

"We also supplement their learning with tutorial time as well as subject specific tutors and learning support. So it is a real wrap around approach to getting our kids to be successful in their courses."

Over the last five years the program has maintained their success rate.

"I think the reasons our students are so very successful at summer school is because the focus is on one class not multiple classes."

She adds the class is really compacted but with lots of support it works.

"With the tutorial time, the tutors, our learning support and the teachers themselves, they all wrap around to help get them through their program of studies."

Clark says the blend of classroom time and online learning gives them some flexibility, but they are still accountable by having to attend the classes.

She adds there are no days off while taking these classes so families planning a summer holiday this program won't work for them.

"Students who are taking summer school are married to it for the month. They have to be, our students truly are, and that is why you see them doing so well."

There are 35 classes offered with 13 full time teachers taking part and five university students on hand to help tutor.

 

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