Sweet On Summer School Thanks To A $700,000 Grant, 24 Elementary Programs Tempt Kids With A Host Of Fun Projects

Crystal Backman never dreamed she’d end up in a strawberry patch when she enrolled in summer school.

But the field trip from Longfellow Elementary was her favorite part of a unit on the basic food groups.

“I liked it when we got to eat the berries and didn’t have to pay for them,” said 8-year-old Crystal, giggling.

Teachers in two dozen Spokane schools are stretching their imaginations this summer to lure thousands of elementary children to District 81 summer classes.

Usually only a couple of Spokane elementary schools hold summer sessions, but 24 are offering them this year. More than 2,000 kids have enrolled.

The sessions are free to parents. A $700,000 federal grant for schools with a lot of low-income students pays for the program.

The money, which must be spent by Aug. 31 or forfeited, was originally intended for employee positions that weren’t filled.

At Longfellow, about 70 kids attend morning classes that feature field trips and fun projects.

The trip to a Green Bluff strawberry field was tucked among reading lessons on food and an assignment in procedural writing: how to make strawberry shortcake.

On Wednesday, children actually made the dessert.

“It’s breakfast for me,” said 8-year-old Casey Ketchum, scooping whipped cream from a red plastic bowl.

Down the hall, a small group of first-graders sat on the carpet for a game of airport bingo. The game followed a trip to Spokane International Airport, where they met a pilot and many saw metal detectors for the first time.

“A lot of the kids have very limited experiences outside this area,” said Cathy Comfort, who’s coordinating the school’s summer program.

“They haven’t had the chance to really go places and do things.”

Downtown is a good start, say teachers, who are also taking classes to the post office, Broadview Dairy and The Spokesman-Review.

Teachers at each school created varying summer classes, but all the agendas include reading and writing, said Cheryl Kammerzell, who is running the district-wide program. Many also include math.

All teachers are asked to plan more hands-on learning projects than usual.

“The focus is really to make learning fun, and make kids realize you don’t just go to school nine months out of the year and then forget it,” Kammerzell said.

Class sizes are limited to about 15 students, and each teacher is paired with an assistant.

Teachers, delighted with the smaller classes, are already hoping the district can afford to offer the expanded summer school program again next year.

“It makes a huge difference in what you can do,” said Shirley Bond, the teacher who brought in shortcake. “I actually have the luxury of time.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo