Something special has been happening this summer for 106 of our students from nine of our local Catholic schools: Holy Family Bilingual Catholic School; Holy Rosary School, Seattle; St. Anthony School; St. Bernadette Parish School; St. George Parish School; St. Joseph School, Seattle; St. Louise School; St. Paul School; and St. Therese Catholic Academy. These schools have all sent students to St. George Parish School to attend the second annual summer school program. This unique five week summer school academic program taught by certified teachers and aides from local Catholic schools, helps students avoid the “summer slide.”
Started by Principal Monica Wingard, her vision for the summer school is to offer additional academic instruction and practice in mastering the skills of math, reading and writing in an environment steeped in Catholic values, “As a classroom teacher, there were so many times when I would recommend summer school or tutoring for students who needed extra support to master critical skills in math or reading; those programs were very scarce and often too costly. I knew we had many parents scrambling for safe and fun summer day-care programs for their kids, so I decided to build a program that matched both needs.”
Tauna Evans, teacher from Holy Rosary School, Seattle reflected on the experience: “It was a joy to watch a group of kindergartners from nine different schools throughout the archdiocese come together and build friendships while being immersed in a learning environment. This program has been a gift to both the teachers and the children.”
In addition to the academic program, the summer school provided our students with experiential learning outside of the classroom to four amazing and fun field trips to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, MOHAI, Franklin Falls in the Snoqualmie National Forest, and concluded with a beach day at Lincoln Park. With two rented buses from Kennedy Catholic High School, this is no small feat with 106 students!
St. George Summer School had an increase of 76% in the enrollment from last year’s summer school program. The program is supported by the Fulcrum Foundation through the generosity of Dave and Laura Matter, providing tuition assistance to students.