A fun summer ahead in Chelsea for learning and community

The new summer program at Beach Middle School isn’t the typical summer school.

In describing the program, Matt Ceo, Assistant Principal at Beach Middle School, said first of all, there is nothing punitive about it at all.

“As a staff, we identified a list of about 70 students that could benefit from extra work in the subjects of English, math, or both,” Ceo said. “We also identified students that could simply use a stronger connection with the Chelsea School District. From that list, we had 50 families sign up quickly.”

This summer, Beach will be running a program for students that according to Ceo will meet them at their level in English and Math, “but will also connect these students with the Chelsea community through field trips, guest speakers, and other creative ways.”

The goal of the program is to provide academic support in literacy and math within the context of larger experience that is engaging and addresses the whole child.

“The beauty of the English and math programs is that they are leveled for each student - whether they are behind or advanced, our program will cater to them,” said Ceo.

Nick Schumann, Meg Emlaw, David Slusser, and Dennis Strzyzewski, who are all certified teachers, will be supervising and coordinating the programming for each student. They will get support from Para-Educators Karen Paul and Steven Fifield.

“This is our first summer running this program, so there is nothing to build upon, but with the team we've put together, along with Curriculum Director Heather Conklin, I am extremely confident that this will be a fun, engaging way for kids to get a little extra work in English and math, but also build stronger connections to each other, the school, and the Chelsea community,” Ceo said.

He said that connection to the community is one of the most exciting things about the Summer Program.

The school district has recently been reaching out to the community to let them know about the program and how people can help and be a part of the experience through potential partnerships. One place they reached out to was the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce.

Ceo said they are carving out a significant amount of time toward team building, community connections (field trips, guest speakers, etc.) and skill-building.

“We have already partnered with several businesses and organizations in Chelsea to provide unique experiences for our students,” said Ceo. “There is a strong focus on healthy habits, fitness, farming, nutrition, executive functioning, financial literacy, and many more!”

To learn more about the program, watch this video and if you'd like to be a part of the experience then go to this link to form potential partnerships.