With an emphasis on fun and hands-on projects, the Waterville Central School District will provide a free summer enrichment program to next year’s elementary students.
Any student entering kindergarten through fifth grade in September can sign up to attend the program four days a week in July. The enrichment program will run Mondays through Fridays - except for the first week due to the holiday - from 8:45 to 11:45 a.m.
WCS Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Spring explained the program at last week’s Board of Education meeting. The district will use federal recovery money for the program to help students get caught up as the pandemic eases.
“It will be fun and open to all students,’’ Spring said. She said it will be project-based learning of topics in the STEAM curriculum: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.
Spring worked to coordinate the WCS program with the Summer Recreational programs run by Waterville-Sangerfield, Marshall and Oriskany Falls. Those programs will move to the afternoons after children in one or both programs are provided a free bag lunch.
The district will transport students in the enrichment program to their municipal recreation area. The elementary school cannot be used for the Waterville-Sangerfield program so that will run out of Waterville Village Hall, Babbott Park and elsewhere in the village.
Those Summer Rec activities will run after lunch through the afternoon. “Parents can have their students partake in a full day of engagement,’’ Spring said, adding that will ease the burden of summer childcare.
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