Our children, who attend the local Harrisburg R-VIII school district, will return to school on August 26. This school year will undoubtedly be unlike any school year to date. Yet children are anticipating it. Some more than ever before, since they haven’t been in the classroom since March.
We implemented a summer reading program to help our children stay up to speed with their learning, in spite of the lack of classroom time.
“At the beginning of the summer, a teacher contacted us and offered to tutor some children in foster care,” explains Volunteer Coordinator Sarah Hopkins. “We presented the idea to her of helping us coordinate a summer reading program. She came by and gave all of our children a reading assessment and then gave us a plan for each child to help with their reading skills. We recruited volunteers, some of who were teachers, who dedicated time over the summer to come and read with our kids. Last week we took those kids out for treats and time at the park to celebrate.
“Our summer reading program helped prepare our kids well for the Harrisburg School District’s summer school, which the children began attending in July and will be finishing this week.”
With the combined efforts of the school district’s summer school and our summer reading program, our children are academically prepped to succeed as they begin the new school year. Not to mention, we were once again blessed with ALL of the needed school supplies so our children are also well equipped with everything from crayons to scientific calculators. Thank you to everyone who helped make that happen!
Like all school districts across the nation, it’s been challenging for our Harrisburg R-VIII district to determine what the beginning of the 2020-21 school year will look like. In a letter to constituents in the July 2020 Bulldog Express newsletter, the superintendent expressed it this way:
We have had one of the toughest stretches for parents, students and staff but we will persevere. We have no choice. Our kids are depending on us. Things are going to look different; we will have to make changes along the way. We may have to restart, utilize a pivot, go virtual, social distance, etc. Whatever is thrown at us, we will make it together.
–Steve Combs, Harrisburg R-VIII Superintendent
Flexibility is a key component. Detailed plans were announced in June by the district and are in place for the school year, with the understanding that those plans may need to change.
