Although school is out for the summer, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District campuses have been bustling with exciting educational and extracurricular opportunities for over 5,500 students enrolled in six programs—Enrichment, Extended School Year, IMPACT, Math Excel, Childcare Camp, and Sports Camp.
The district’s five-week Summer Enrichment Program took place at Glenview and Melrose elementary schools, where hundreds of transitional kindergarten through seventh-grade students enjoyed engaging and future-ready classes of their choice. This year’s program featured over 20 unique courses led by PYLUSD teachers at each site. While many of these courses were centered around themes of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, many courses also offer students the opportunity to explore more fun topics. Some of the courses include Math through Games, Cartoon Creation, Summer Camp Crafts, Ancient World Mythology, Graphic Design, Zumba, Storybook Spectacular, Science of Plants and the Environment, just to name a few.
One of the leaders of Summer Enrichment this year, Mabel Paine Elementary School principal Geoff Smith, shared the following about the program: “I truly enjoyed observing such great joy from both students and teachers who participated in this program. Each day I have loved hearing the stories from about the new information they have taken in. Students have been able to partake in a variety of learning experiences that will truly enhance their educational experience. I could not be more proud of our staff for the dedication and innovation they have brought to this program!”
The district’s Extended School Year (ESY) program for students of all ages who qualify for special education was held at several sites including Geroge Key, Venture, Rio Vista, Woodsboro, and Esperanza. Hundreds of students benefitted from the instruction and care provided by ESY staff as they participated in hands-on learning experiences, lessons enhanced with technology, and tailored work related to their Individualized Education Program goal.
The district also hosted Summer IMPACT at the middle school and high school levels. Each year, IMPACT offers PYLUSD students the opportunity to get ahead in credits or repair grades with the support of smaller class sizes and counseling support. The programs were hosted at Esperanza High School and Valadez Middle School Academy and focused on English Language Arts, mathematics, physical education, and specific electives geared toward art, STEM, health, and creative writing at the middle school level. Various courses in mathematics and science were offered at the high school level.
Topaz Elementary School principal Eva Matthews oversaw a portion of Summer IMPACT offered at Valadez. Of the program, she noted: “Our IMPACT teachers are invested in our students and how to best close their learning gap all while keeping our students engaged with the material.”
An accelerated math course, known as the Math Excel Program, was also offered to PYLUSD students who wish to be eligible for Algebra I as a 7th grader or Geometry as an 8th grader.
“Our accelerated math program is a great way to support an alternative pathway. It opens the doors to geometry and calculus earlier in students’ educational careers,” shared Principal Matthews. “I am very proud of the work we do and the ways we serve various communities during our middle school summer programs.”
Similar to IMPACT, El Camino Real High School hosted a Credit Recovery Program for high school students from across the district. Over 180 students were given the opportunity to recover credits in language arts, math, physical education history, and electives with the help of a high-qualified staff and small group environments. Students in this program did not pass these courses during the regular year and are benefitting from the chance to recuperate up to 15 credits during the 5-week program. in a supportive and small group environment.
Next, six childcare Summer Camps were also provided at Glenview, Lakeview, Morse, Travis Ranch, Wagner, and Rio Vista elementary schools. The ten-week camps offered a full schedule of summer fun varying from field trips to assemblies on campus and STEAM activities.
Lastly, over 4,000 students participated in Summer Sports Camps hosted at El Dorado, Esperanza, Valencia, and Yorba Linda high schools in preparation for the fall, winter, and spring seasons. Working alongside all athletic directors and coaches, the district helped coordinate camps like football, cheer, soccer, lacrosse, dance, and everything in between for high school students of all ages and abilities.
These programs would not have been made possible without several district departments including the Early and Expanded Learning, led by Director Dr. George Lopez, Educational Services, led by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Olivia Yaung, and Special Education, led by Executive Director Renee Gray. A large team of dedicated teachers, staff members, and district and school administrators also prepared for months to ensure all six of the programs added educational and extracurricular value to the lives of PYLUSD students throughout the summer months.