Registration for ETHS summer school will open on Jan. 23 and close on March 27, prompting students who want to take classes over the summer to start planning.
“Summer school is a great opportunity as it provides different types of opportunities for different students,” said Pedro Soriano, Dean of Student Success, Safety, & Well-being. “It can get requirements out of the way, which really helps open up students’ schedules so that they can try other classes during the school year.”
Summer school will take place from June 1 to July 9. Most classes meet for 2.5 hours each day across 26 days. Some courses are offered for five hours each day over the course of 13 days.
The following categories of courses will be offered for current students: academic recovery, enrichment and academic achievement. Certain courses will be available specifically for incoming freshmen.
Academic recovery courses are core classes required for graduation. This summer, academic recovery will be offered in English, math, history, science and physical education. These courses are intended only for students who must repeat a class due to failure and will be offered in a 25-day format.
Students can also take advantage of enrichment programs, such as Extended School Year (ESY) which provides additional instruction beyond the regular school year and is designed for students with IEPs. These courses are free and available only to eligible students. Enrichment courses do not provide academic credit.
Several elective courses will be offered under the category of academic achievement. This year’s summer school electives include Graphic Design, Intro to Drawing and Painting, Economics, Contemporary Adult Life, Wellness and Driver’s Ed. Courses run based on student interest.
Driver’s Ed includes both classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel lessons. It has its own registration timeline and requires a pre-approval form.
ETHS will also offer College N.O.W.: Navigating, Organizing & Writing, a four-day course for rising seniors. This course helps students understand the college admissions process, does not provide academic credit and has no registration fee.
Soriano believes students should decide which summer school courses to take based on their academic needs.
“I think that it’s an important conversation to have with the counselors because they are a great resource to help figure out students’ schedules and plan for their futures,” said Soriano. “It is also important for students to consult with their families when making decisions regarding summer school as most courses come with additional fees.”
Incoming freshmen have the option to choose from a select number of summer courses: Prep to ETHS, Reading and Math in the Social Context and Geometry Complete. These courses are designed to welcome incoming freshmen students to ETHS and acclimate them to the learning environment.
Senior Eden Osborn valued the Prep to ETHS class when she was an incoming freshman.
“Prep to ETHS helped me to prepare for high school, get to know more people at ETHS and made me more comfortable on the first day of school,” said Osborn.
The Prep to ETHS course aims to teach students how to access resources, skills and support to aid them in having a successful transition into high school.
“I took Prep to ETHS during the third session, and it was a really great experience,” said freshman Rosie Parker-Rubin.
Many teachers urge students to understand that attendance is important because summer school courses are fast-paced and require daily preparation. There are also no excused absences.
Students should know that most summer school courses require a one-time $70 registration fee plus course tuition. Financial assistance may be available, but waivers do not apply to Driver’s Ed or Geometry Complete.
The opportunity to take classes over the summer allows students to catch up and get ahead in their schoolwork.
