Summer School

View all of the photos for purchase! Last spring, Teddy Gossard was ready to quit school. He was getting "fed up" and "irritated" with his performance and having difficulty paying attention in class at Smithsburg High School, he said. But his friends and family wouldn't quit on him and motivated him to keep working toward his high school diploma, said Gossard, 19, of Cavetown. "They talked to me and I realized I made it this far. Why quit now?" Gossard said shortly after graduating Thursday and receiving his high school diploma.

Education is the key to getting ahead in life. And reading is the key to education. That's why we applaud the Washington County Schools initiative that will add a six-week session to traditional summer classes, designed for kids whose reading skills are in danger of becoming overwhelmed by advancing course work. The program will target about 400 kids who have finished first grade, and are about to enter second. The timing is important, because if children fall behind early in reading, it stands to reason that they will fall further behind in all subjects as the years go on, and exponentially so. Yes, kids learn at different speeds, and studies suggest that it is possible (under ideal and perhaps unrealistic conditions)

Preregistration for high school summer school is June 6 to 8, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., and June 12 to 14, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Preregistration will take place in the lobby adjacent to the counseling center at North Hagerstown High School. Information about registration, fees and course offerings is available from the counseling offices in each high school.

pepperb@herald-mail.com As the federal No Child Left Behind act demands that all students meet national proficiency standards, summer school might seem an ideal opportunity for students who are behind to gain ground, but some Tri-State school officials say they are not equipped to provide such assistance. In Washington County Public Schools, the summer school program has been affected primarily by the federal law's emphasis on testing. More attention is being focused on middle school students and how they fare in reading, writing and math on the Maryland Functional Test.

pepperb@herald-mail.com Not all Washington County students asked to attend summer school took advantage of the different grade level programs, but school officials said the program was successful anyway. Washington County Public Schools' nonmandatory summer school programs aim to help students get higher reading, functional and subject test scores through intense summer sessions that may help the students advance to a higher grade level. All 25 county elementary schools held a summer reading program this year for the first time.

Summer school will become mandatory next year for Washington County eighth-graders who don't meet state standards in reading and math. cont. from front page The change is part of a plan approved this week by the Maryland Board of Education to identify struggling students as soon as possible and offer them help so they don't fall behind. The county has already expanded its summer school program for elementary and middle school students in an effort to help them keep up with their classes, said Boyd Michael, director of secondary education at the Washington County Board of Education.

HAGERSTOWN -- Amanda Snyder said missing the 2010 senior prom at Clear Spring High School would be her biggest regret about graduating a year early. Snyder, 17, was one of 25 students from Washington County Public Schools to graduate Thursday after completing summer school. The ceremony was held in the auditorium at North Hagerstown High School. "I will miss going to senior prom and most of my friends," Snyder said. "I just felt like I was done with high school. Now, I'm ready to move on to college.

Elementary school June 21 to July 29 Monday through Thursday 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Classes will be at the following elementary schools: > ul> Boonsboro Eastern n Hancock Winter Street Fountaindale Lincolnshire Old Forge Middle school June 28 to July 29 Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ...

cailinm@herald-mail.com When school lets out, summer school is in for a number of area students who go to catch up on course requirements or gain credit to get ahead. In Washington County, some students attend as a requirement for promotion to the next grade level, but others come to get extra help with reading, writing and math, Executive Director of Secondary Education Boyd Michael III said. Michael said 269 students are enrolled in high school summer school classes and 625 students are enrolled in middle school classes, which are held for 19 days.

Donna Brightman said she's running for re-election to the Washington County Board of Education because she wants to help refocus education on individual students and the community. “I think education is heading in the wrong direction,” said Brightman, referring to federal and state regulations and laws. “We're losing local control of our schools,” said Brightman, 60, who lives near the southern tip of Washington County. She said she was running for the local post, and not a state or federal office, because she believes the local school board is the best way to cause such change.

Sitting in a little chair at a table with three incoming second-graders, teacher Julie Grimm provided tips to one student for an illustration for his book, then turned to another to check out his writing. “When the seeds grrrrrrrow,” she said as she read his writing. “What are you missing in grow?” she asked Carlos Vicuna. “Oh, 'R,'” said Carlos, 7, leaning forward to add the letter to the page. Creating their own books about a nonfiction subject, or their own story based on the character “Scaredy Squirrel” were among the activities students in a new summer school program undertook recently at Rockland Woods Elementary School.

I can't believe it is the first of August already. The lazy days of summer are coming to an end. School supplies have been out in the stores and there are only 21 more days until school begins for most students in Washington County. So, I hope you all have fun and enjoy these last three weeks of vacation. Winter Street School News Winter Street Elementary School started their second session of summer school Monday. It will be in session for two weeks, ending Thursday, Aug. 9. Back-to-school orientation is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 20. The time for kindergarten students will be 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., and for students in grades one through five, it will be 6 to 7 p.m. Prekindergarten orientation will be Wednesday, Aug. 22 from 10 to 11 a.m. West Hagerstown Seniors The West End Senior Citizens Club will hold its August luncheon meeting on Thursday, Aug. 9. Members are to meet at 11:45 a.m. at the Western Sizzlin' steak house on York Road in Halfway.

The Washington County Health Department is expected to continue to provide health services for Washington County Public Schools for the remainder of the summer school session, but an unknown number of health department employees are expected to be laid off when the new fiscal year starts July 1, officials said Monday. Who will provide school health services during the new school year also remains in limbo. If someone other than the health department ends up providing the school year services, the resulting layoffs could have a ripple effect throughout the health department and other state agencies because some year-round health department employees have “bumping” privileges, health department spokesman Rod MacRae said.

Washington County's health officer and schools superintendent met Saturday to talk about the future of health care in local schools, three weeks before funding for a nurse program is scheduled to be cut. Health Officer Earl Stoner said no decisions were made at Saturday's meeting. For now, the Washington County Health Department and the school system will crunch some numbers, he said. Representatives from each agency will keep in touch by email and probably meet again within a few days, he said.

Thousands of free breakfasts and lunches will be served this summer to Washington County youth as the public school system expands its summer food program to six more sites, according to a school official. Most of the schools that offer the meals are where summer school programs are being held, said Jeff Proulx, supervisor of food and nutrition services. But three schools are open sites for breakfast and lunch, meaning students do not need to be enrolled in a program at the school to receive a meal, Proulx said.

Washington County is boosting its summer-school programs. One will target many of the youngest students - those headed for second grade. The Primary Summer Literacy Camp will run from July 2 through Aug. 9 at Bester, Ruth Ann Monroe, Rockland Woods and Salem Avenue elementary schools. It will help students having trouble reading and writing, according to a PowerPoint presentation given to the Washington County Board of Education on Tuesday. School days will be 6 1/2 hours long, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., four days a week.

The Washington County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved second-quarter budget adjustments for county schools during a brief meeting with school system officials Tuesday. The Washington County Board of Education approved the adjustments on March 20, but county approval also was needed. The adjustments included: $675,000 shifted to take care of deferred maintenance. Additional salary for an expanded summer school. $530,730 in energy savings due to a mild winter.

Education is the key to getting ahead in life. And reading is the key to education. That's why we applaud the Washington County Schools initiative that will add a six-week session to traditional summer classes, designed for kids whose reading skills are in danger of becoming overwhelmed by advancing course work. The program will target about 400 kids who have finished first grade, and are about to enter second. The timing is important, because if children fall behind early in reading, it stands to reason that they will fall further behind in all subjects as the years go on, and exponentially so. Yes, kids learn at different speeds, and studies suggest that it is possible (under ideal and perhaps unrealistic conditions)

A new summer school program will begin this year to help improve reading at the primary-grade level because the skill is so crucial as a student's education progresses, the Washington County Public Schools superintendent announced Tuesday. Superintendent Clayton Wilcox told Washington County Board of Education members about the new program during a budget work session on Tuesday morning at the Central Office in Hagerstown. Other issues, such as contracted services, health care costs, and class sizes, were discussed during the work session, but no changes were made to the proposed $246 million budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. A public hearing for the proposed budget will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Central Office off Commonwealth Avenue.