BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI

North Country This Week 

MASSENA — Massena Central School officials are poised to add a summer school option for elementary students, beginning this summer.

Officials made the announcement during a recent Board of Education meeting.

According to Danielle Chapman, Director of Student Support Services, the elementary program will be called the Summer Raider Academy and aims to support student academic needs through engaging project based activities.

Superintendent Pat Brady said the program will ensure students are able to develop “foundational skills” and the project based approach will be used in the junior high as well.

Conversations will be had with teachers in the district to analyze and identify students in need of assistance, based on current academic standing and progress, Chapman said.

Teachers in grades kindergarten through third will create activities to benefit students, while teachers in grades 4-6 will work with retired project based learning presenters to create a program and standards that match the needs to students, officials say.

“Our learning will certainly be focused on building that student belonging in elementary school. They do not have to be there, but we want them to be there. So, we really need to make sure that the environment is a positive, fun, engaging environment, and we will be making sure to do that,” Chapman said.

Areas of focus during the summer programs will include math and STEM, as well as reading and writing.

A local partnership through Clarkson University will also benefit students in the grades 4-6 program, with mentors assisting in a one-week math camp, Chapman said.

The Summer Raider Academy will run from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday through Thursday from July 5-29. The academy will be held in Jefferson Elementary School.

For middle and high school students, classes will run from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., July 5-22, with many students taking multiple courses throughout the session.

“We’ve been prioritizing in the order of math, ELA (English language arts), modern language, science and then social studies. The project-based learning piece would allow us to take a little bit of an interdisciplinary approach in the event that a child could only take three or two of the courses. They would still be getting some of the content that’s needed for them,” Junior High Principal Amanda Zullo said.

Officials say summer school for high school students will run from July 25 to Aug. 26. Classes begin at 9 a.m. and end at 12 p.m. A total of 150 to 165 students are expected to participate, according to officials.