Not a punishment: Wellington tries to rebrand summer school

WELLINGTON — With grades down and children in danger of being left behind after a year disrupted by the pandemic, Wellington educators are hoping extra July and August classes can get students back on track. But just try convincing kids to spend their summer at school playing catch-up. "The idea of a summer school in and of itself is not going to inherently excite kids," McCormick Middle School Principal Nathan Baxendale said in a meeting Tuesday night. He hopes rebranding offseason learning as an activity-filled day camp will help throw off the stigma and get more kids to buy in, beyond only those who are at risk of failing. "When you say 'summer school,' it has a negative connotation and people steer away from it," Superintendent Ed Weber agreed. Janet Kubasak, principal at Wellington's Westwood Elementary, said she's even had a handful of parents ask why she wants to "punish" kids by offering summer school. That's not at all what is intended, she said. Like districts all over the nation, Wellington is trying to recover from the havoc caused by jumping online for large chunks of the year. Students not only have struggled with grades, but standardized test scores and attendance. In the past few months, many education officials across Lorain County reported kids haven't been engaged as they've dealt with anxiety, depression, isolation, family income loss, the deaths of loved ones and other pandemic-related troubles at home. As a result, it's painfully obvious many kids aren't ending the 2020-21 school year prepared for the next grade, Weber said. "Nobody's coming in with the kind of readiness that a full school year would provide," he said. "They have some of it, but they didn't get a full year of schooling." Gov. Mike DeWine asked districts to provide "learning recovery plans" by April 1, and local schools are riffing on a template provided by the Educational Service Center of Lorain County. A popular option is vastly expanding summer school options, and disguising them as fun and creative day camps. Wellington High School Principal Tina Drake was not present for the discussion Tuesday, but Weber said she is planning a "credit recovery" push for students who need certain credits to graduate. Baxendale's day camps for grades four to eight will run from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in two sessions: June 21 to July 2 and July 12-23, also with backup from the Boys & Girls Clubs. He said the focus there will be on language arts and math, the subjects in which McCormick students have struggled the most during the past year. The camps also will be a "soft opening" for McCormick's new STEAM focus, with classes in an array of subjects from coding and robotics to music appreciation. Baxendale said he's also been in talks with the Cleveland Indians, Akron Rubber Ducks, Great Lakes Science Center and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for field trips, if pandemic protocols have been lifted. He anticipates the program drawing 25 to 50 students. For preschool through third grade, Kubasak is billing her program as "Westwood Summer Warriors," running classes four days a week during July and August. It will focus on reading, but will include outdoor activities, art and virtual field trips. The Boys & Girls Clubs will also be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on summer school days to support families that need child care. Kubasak said she's planning for 50 to 60 kids to take part. The low numbers had Wellington Board of Education President Brett Murner angry — he told principals he was "a little unimpressed" with their plans. "Listen: Every single kid in this district is behind in everything," he said, raising his voice and pounding his hand. "I don't care who they are, where they are, where they are on (testing). We've got all this extra money, and we've got all these things. It just seems like we could make it bigger." Weber said he wants as many students to take part in summer learning as possible — no one will be turned away — but with very few exceptions, he can't force anyone to take part in summer school. While Murner insisted that Wellington families are "begging" for summer education, Weber said he hasn't encountered the same level of demand. School board member Kevin Stump said there's only so much time to get students back on track, and he hopes parents embrace the opportunities the Wellington school district is offering. "A lot of people already have their minds made up. But if a kid needs help, we need to not sugarcoat that," he said. As for how it will all be paid for — Treasurer Mark Donnelly said Wellington has received roughly $561,000 in state and federal pandemic relief, and about half is earmarked for summer schools over the next two years. Weber said $120,000 — $40,000 for each of the district's buildings — has been budgeted for summer 2021. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.