Gone are the days when summer school was considered a punishment for students who failed a course.
Now summer school is something kids want to attend, explained Ron Stare, district principal for continuing education.
He spoke of expansion to the upcoming summer sessions at the April 28 meeting of the Langley Board of Education.
Ninety per cent of the high school students who are in summer school are taking a full credit to get ahead, he said.
During the first year that Langley introduced summer school for elementary students, in 2013, 1,500 students registered.
“We opened our registration for elementary on April 7 (and) we had 1,400 register. We anticipate 1,900,” said Stare.
The focus at the primary level is helping in literacy and math, but there is also opportunity for exploration and trying new things.
This year, for the first time, they are offering the jumpstart program for kids coming out of Kindergarten and going into Grade 1, to help them transition.
Musical theatre and trades courses are also being offered for the first time for middle school students, he said.
The Township of Langley and the City have co-ordinated programs so that kids may attend a summer session offering in the morning and then take part in a Township or City program in the afternoon — fully supervised and on the same site. The opportunities for kids are amazing and it is all free for the school district portion.
This year, there is a new middle school program at Yorkson Middle School, the addition of Richard Bulpitt to the offerings at the elementary level and the expansion of programs for vulnerable, at-risk youth.
The summer program for at-risk youth at HD Stafford has been such a success, keeping those students connected through the summer months, that the district has expanded the program to Walnut Grove Secondary and Betty Gilbert Middle School. The program at Stafford includes outdoor adventures like whitewater rafting.
Last summer’s sessions were cancelled due to the teachers’ strike. International students who had registered for summer sessions were taught at Trinity Western University.
There is still six weeks left to register.