ELGIN—From pre-school to eighth-grade, students registered at St. Joseph School in Elgin received six hours of daily instruction in the most important areas of knowledge this summer.
With their teachers, the students worked on reading and phonics, vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking;. They took part in a writing workshop to develop their creative thinking, composition skills, spelling, grammar, and syntax.
They studied math, including problem solving, basic concepts and skill reinforcement.
The summer efforts were all intended to promote enduring academic success.
Thanks to a grant for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, the parents did not pay for the summer school.
The federal grant is administered through the Elgin public school district.
More than 110 children — and the number is growing as more come back from vacations — are taking advantage of this opportunity, from straight-A students to those who need more attention from their teachers.
In a school where the Hispanic population is about 90 percent, the bilingual students have the benefit of practicing English and being prepared before the regular classes begin, since most of them only speak Spanish at home.
As if that were not enough, they reinforced the academic areas they need while enjoying recreational activities in the afternoon.
The program helps students to reach state and local standards in core academic areas.
Classes, which began on Aug. 4 and finish on Aug. 28, run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
But, the program is just one of many changes the principal is making at St. Joseph School.
“We have a record number of registrations,” said principal Rocío del Castillo.
“We have invested in technology and the students this year will have Spanish classes. Likewise, we have a new reading and writing (program), as well as an afterschool program and supervised homework,” she said.
The changes are possible, she said, thanks to the great team that works with her.
The new school year also comes with an extra half hour of classes each day.