Gone are the days when students chant "No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks." This summer, Howe Sound school district students will be paying for the privilege of attending literacy camps and a math preparation course.
For the first time Howe Sound summer programs will include literacy camps for young learners and a new math prep course to help students entering Grade 12 this fall achieve higher grades and provincial exam scores.
Superintendent Dr. Rick Erickson said the district is committed to helping young learners develop the literacy skills, which are so essential for success in public school.
Students will pay $280 for the Math 12 course, which runs at Howe Sound Secondary from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, July 4 to 22. And the literacy camp will cost $95 for Canadian and $195 for international students, Grades 1 to 3, who wish to improve their reading and writing skills in a fun environment. The camp will be held from 9 a.m. to noon July 11 to 15 at three locations: Signal Hill Elementary in Pemberton, Myrtle Philip Elementary in Whistler, and 樱桃视频Elementary in Squamish. Summer School Principal Lawrence Tarasoff said he hopes to have enough funding generated through the program to implement scholarships and bursaries for students that may not have the financial means to attend. Howe Sound Teachers' Association President Carl Walker said the program sounded like a good opportunity for under-employed Howe Sound teachers, but added that he would be concerned if there continued to be no means of allowing underprivileged children access to the same advantages.
The school district in partnership with N'Quatqua Band will also be offering one two-week fine arts, sports and recreation camp at Blackwater Creek Elementary School in D'Arcy August 8 to 12 and August 15 to 19.
For further information about the school district's Early Literacy Camps, Introduction to Math 12 and for-credit summer courses, contact your child's school, Summer School Principal Lawrence Tarasoff (604) 894-6318 or the School Board Office (604) 892-5228. Fee and registration information for the Fine Arts, Sports and Recreation Camps is available from Squamish's Brennan Park Center (604) 898-3604, the Pemberton Community Centre (604) 894-2340 and the N'Quatqua Band Office (604) 452-3221.
