Heating Up Summer Education

Brentwood, N.Y. (August 2019)—Students in Brentwood Union Free School District (BUFSD) got a jumpstart back to school during its summer enrichment programs at its elementary schools. Throughout the summer months, Brentwood focused on developing 21st century skills by engaging its students to think, collaborate, and innovate through literacy, science and visual arts.

“Our elementary students lived vicariously through great books and learned about scientific, technological and natural world issues through problem-based learning and discovery,” said Ann Palmer, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education. “The district’s summer enrichment programs are redefining summer learning and we are so proud to have the opportunity to provide these learning experiences for our students.”

At Loretta Park and North Elementary Schools, 400 rising third, fourth, and fifth grade students were taught that literacy and science are better together through Literacy, Science and Social Studies: BETTER TOGETHER, a program that focuses on building reading stamina and developing social and emotional learning (SEL) through powerful books. Brentwood’s teachers and students embarked on a one-week campsite adventure in classrooms to fully immerse themselves in the summer reading experience. Each morning campers circled around a paper campfire set-up for a session of collaborative reading before practicing their independent reading skills. Following the daily 90-minute session of literacy, students ventured to other classrooms to collaborate and engage in hands-on science projects like aluminum robots and geology activities, and other earth science related projects. The 90-minute block of science placed a heavy emphasis on the district’s Elevate Science program which encourages student-innovators to build and engineer self-made projects.

At Oak Park Elementary School, Brentwood’s elementary students attended a five-day camp which provided hands-on, project-based STEM activities and emphasized visual arts, technology, design and photography. Early in the week, teachers introduced the next generation of visual artists to the technology and visual language of digital photography. The young photographers captured pictures on digital cameras before uploading them to computers and manipulating them in PhotoCat, an online photo editing application to edit and retouch pictures; make photo collages; apply effects, frames, and text; and much more. Later in the week, Brentwood’s student scientists used everyday objects to construct barometers and anemometers, weather instruments that measure atmospheric pressure and wind speed, respectively. Afterwards, each group of campers went outside to test their projects!

For more information about the Brentwood Union Free School District, please visit the district’s website at www.brentwood.k12.ny.us. Happenings in the district can also be followed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BrentwoodUnionFreeSchoolDistrict.