Summer school set go next month

Some district students will be spending part of their vacation in the classroom now that the Rainy River District School Board has confirmed summer school will be session here for a third-consecutive year.
“We’ve got over 50 kids from across the system,” Superintendent of Education Terry Ellwood said Tuesday. “We needed an average of 10 students in each program to make it revenue neutral, and we got them.”
Starting Tuesday, July 3 at 9 a.m., students in grades seven/eight and nine/10 will be sitting in classrooms at Fort Frances High School, Atikokan High School, Donald Young School in Emo (grade seven/eight only), and Rainy River High School for 60 hours of English and math instruction spread over 12 days.
Teachers slated to run classes include Shane Bliss and Cheri Whatley (FFHS), Karen Wilde (DYS), Glenna Williams and Kendall McLean (AHS), and John Loewen (RRHS).
Ellwood noted that while the program includes some allowance for transportation cost, it likely won’t be necessary for the board to spend any money in that area.
“We’re talking individually to parents if there’s any problem,” he said. “I think, for the most part, the students can get themselves to school.”
Ellwood noted the program was expanded to include grade nine and 10 students this year, and the enrolment showed there was some need to do so.
“I think the parents of students are looking at getting some remedial help so when they enter high school, they’ll have an easier time with literacy testing,” he said.
“And they’ll be better at math. In a way, it’s a good intro to high school for the elementary kids,” added Ellwood.
Last year, 48 grade seven/eight students were enrolled in summer school. In 1999, the inaugural year of the program, it was offered only to those in grade eight.