As we approach the end of another school year, here’s some information about what’s happening this summer for both students and teachers.
Investing in our Students With Free Summer School and EDMO Summer Camp
This summer, we are again offering free summer learning opportunities for students of all ages. Our summer programs combine academic support with enriching activities to ensure students continue learning while having fun during their summer break. Younger students will be hosted at Kelseyville Elementary School, older students at Kelseyville High School.
Summer school is open to students of all ages. It runs Monday through Friday from July 6 - July 31, 7:30 AM - 12:30 PM. The program focuses on strengthening students' foundational skills in core academic subjects, including language arts and mathematics. The program is designed to provide additional academic support, credit recovery, help students maintain skills over the summer break, and prepare for the upcoming school year.
EDMO offers a social environment for students in Grades K-8 to enjoy hands-on adventures in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. Program dates are June 22 through July 31, Monday through Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Students participating in summer school in the morning can join EDMO in the afternoon for full-day coverage to help busy families.
Whether you're looking for academic reinforcement through our Summer School Program or engaging STEAM activities with EDMO Summer Camp, we’ve got you covered.
Summer Library Access
To support students and their families, our elementary school libraries will be open one day per week during the summer, running on the same schedule as summer school. We're planning activities that include guest readers, story time, and reading challenges with prizes. The specific day and full details will be finalized before school lets out, so stay tuned. Please note that middle and high school libraries will not be open this summer, as last year's turnout did not support continued operations at those sites.
Investing in Our Teachers With AVID Summer Institute and PLC Training
Students aren’t the only ones learning new skills during summer break. Each summer, we make a significant investment in the ongoing professional growth of our educators. This month, teams of teachers from each of our school sites will travel to Sacramento to participate in the AVID Summer Institute. AVID — Advancement Via Individual Determination — is our district's college-bound program. It focuses on supporting first-generation college-bound students by building skills in critical thinking, writing, student engagement, and note-taking. Teachers will be enrolled in different communities of practice, concentrating on areas such as engagement strategies, math, and other specialized topics. For more information about AVID in our district, I encourage you to reach out to our AVID District Director, Jen Conrad.
In July, a team of approximately 20 educators and leaders will head to Sacramento for the PLC at Work Institute. These folks are responsible for implementing and guiding the professional learning communities across our district. That work continues in August, when a Solution Tree facilitator will spend a day with each school’s leadership team to provide additional hands-on PLC coaching.
Why This Investment in Educators Matters
Everyone understands why we invest in our students’ education, but some may wonder why we dedicate so many resources to teacher professional development. The answer is straightforward: our educators must be lifelong learners if we expect our students to be the same. And the truth is, the students sitting in our classrooms today are significantly different from students of even a decade ago.
Social media and technology have fundamentally changed attention spans and how young people process information. COVID created real and lasting learning gaps; in some cases, we have middle school students still working to build foundational reading skills. Teaching can no longer be primarily teacher-centered, delivered through lecture while students sit passively. Today's classroom must be student-centered, with collaborative work, peer interaction, and active engagement.
Perhaps most importantly, we have shifted the fundamental question we ask ourselves as educators. It is no longer enough to say, "I taught it." The question we must ask is: Did they learn it? That shift in mindset — and it is a big one for some veteran teachers — is at the heart of what professional learning communities are designed to accomplish. Rather than racing to cover a long list of standards superficially, PLCs help teachers focus on mastery of the standards that matter most. Both AVID and PLCs are research-based approaches with proven track records of increasing student achievement and college readiness, and they are worth the investment.
A Note on Next Year's Calendar
Finally, I want to give families advance notice of some changes to next year's school calendar. For the first time in many years, school will be in session for two days over Thanksgiving break. In October, we will observe National Indigenous People's Day as a day off. These adjustments are the result of several factors: a late Labor Day, Juneteenth as a mandated paid holiday for classified staff, and a desire to end school no later than June 18. This also means high school graduation will move to Thursday, June 18, rather than the traditional Friday. I know schedule changes can take some getting used to, but the board has already reviewed and approved the calendar following the public process, and we wanted to make sure families have as much notice as possible to plan accordingly.
Thank you for your continued partnership. It is a privilege to serve this community, and I look forward to a productive summer for our students and our staff alike.