OCSS Bringing Back 4-Week Summer Learning Camps

Overton County Schools Summer Learning Camp will return this June for students entering grades 1-8.

Coordinator Debbie Roddie said the four-week camp will focus on learning loss that occurred during the pandemic.

“Especially in our lower grades, those critical foundational skills we are really going to hone in on those skills,” Roddie said. “We are trying to accelerate that learning and build the student’s confidence.”

Roddie said the summer learning camp is a continuation of the state’s learning loss initiative introduced last year. Roddie said about 180 students enrolled last year and saw real academic gains.

“We really felt positive about the camp,” Roddie said. “Going into it there was a lot of uncertainty from teachers and from students, but what we did hear was so many positives. We had phone calls saying thank you so much for doing this.”

Roddie said applications are available at each school for students or parents to pickup. Camp dates will be June 6-June 30, Monday through Thursday. Camp at A.H. Roberts Elementary will be for students entering grades 1-5. Bridge camp at Livingston Middle School is for students entering grades 6-8.

“We have high quality materials ordered up,” Roddie said. “We have teachers with a high level of effectiveness on board to teach this summer. We really also want to pinpoint our upper grades. We see a lot of math skills that we are behind on.”

The camp will include 7 hours of daily in-person programming from 7:30-2:30 including 4 hours of reading, writing and math instruction, 1 hour of intervention, 1 hour of Physical Activity/Play and 1 hour of STREAM instruction “S.T.R.E.A.M.” programming will focus on Science, Technology, Reading and English