Director's Newsletter - July/August '10

Summer School blazes on and still the children carry on with their daily activities. Nothing stops these kids through their days of fun and learning. Our summer program works much the same as the regular school year. The schedule and curriculum that we follow is basically the same, but all children, and teachers for that matter, need a break from the routine and summer is a perfect time for that. This is the time for remediation, reinforcement, and enrichment. Now these strategies are used during the regular school year
but during summer there is a little more time to stop and differentiate among the children to find what their specific needs are.

We have developed the curriculum this summer around weekly themes as a jumping off point for our studies. Some of these various themes are music, outdoor activities, cowboys, America, and sports. Through these themes the children are being asked to perform a variety of tasks in order to learn about
several new aspects of their culture. The books the children are reading, the art media they use, the topics they write and talk about; even the food that is prepared in the kitchen is geared toward the weekly theme.

Other activities that we are offering this summer include some of what we do during the regular school year; gymnastics, Spanish and dance, and additionally Taekwondo from Fountain Lake Taekwondo, music taught by Becca Ohman, and art classes taught by Leslie Nutt. All these enriching activities provide a variety of experiences that the children may or may not experience later in their school careers. It is important that they get a chance now. Their families get a chance to see what their children show an interest in, what they may excel at, and what they might perhaps pursue at greater lengths in the future.

This is a key part of what St. Luke’s is about, building that foundation yet looking to the needs of the whole child. I have talked to you before about the responsibility we take for building a strong academic base for these children. That is not the whole story and that is why we must not forget that it is not always what is written in a book or professed by a teacher. The activities we provide and the varieties of modalities that we allow our children to use are all key to the development of the whole child. Our summer program is an
attempt at that process. And it is a whole lot of fun too!

As we wind our way through summer you know then that the beginning of school is near. I’ve include a calendar below for you. As we gear up I will be asking for some help in getting school ready and would invite any volunteers to come and lend a hand during the first part of August. In addition, it is time for any of you to think about how you might want to involve yourself with your school. So many of you have been a part of St. Luke’s in one way or another and it is important for you to know that the door to your school is always wide open. Just know that when you walk through a child is going to hug you and a classroom will welcome your visit and your helping hand.

Some final notes on the beginning of the new school year: Registration for fall continues and sign ups are currently underway. If you or anyone you know is interested please contact me as soon as possible.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please call or come by my office.
John Zubro, Director, 623-1653 #25