FCS, partners to offer summer enrichment activities

May 20—Another summer of student enrichment activities is planned via Fayette County Schools and its various partners.

And that will include the school system's Summer Academy. According to Anna Kincaid-Cline, associate superintendent of curriculum/technology/instruction for Fayette County Schools, the academy will run for four weeks, including the first two weeks of June, then "to get them kind of jump started for the beginning of the school year, it will be the last two weeks of July."

While FCS works with many partners throughout the school year and in the summer months, they will specifically be docking with the Coda Mountain Academy in Fayetteville for the summer academy.

The program is set up so the participating students will be involved in school-related activities in the mornings, then transfer over to the various activities offered by the system's partners in the afternoon if they so choose. Food is included, and the summer academy is free.

FCS will offer transportation for children to go to the partners' programs, Kincaid-Cline said, "because we really want kids to be engaged all summer if we can."

Those partners "are a great program," said Superintendent Gary Hough.

Overall, the academy covers students from kindergarten to incoming 12th-graders.

"The summer activities within that allow them to express themselves artistically like through the arts and STEM and different things like that, which is kind of exciting," Kincaid-Cline said.

In 2021, the first full-fledged year for the program, about 450 students participated, with 250 to 270 taking part consistently when the program ran for four straight weeks.

All students must register for the academy and the partner activities. Around 120 had registered for the academy through last week. "We'll try to get as many kids as we can."

In the summer academy, Save the Children and Extended School Year for special education students, there are between 40 and 60 employed schools staff, plus 12 to 15 bus drivers.

Most class sizes are in the 1 to 10 or 1 to 12 range. "It's a little different from school," Kincaid-Cline said.

The results from the program are "just phenomenal," she said. "Last year it was so critical because kids missed so much school. They didn't have the opportunities that we would normally have for kids to take that extra step, because we had to get the basics in the few days that we had.

"This year, we were fortunate to (be) in a little bit better spot. We still had some struggles at the beginning of this year with kids being out due to being sick with Covid, but we were certainly in school a whole lot more this year than we were last year. So this year again it's about true enrichment."

The summer programs are set up, among other things, to teach practical applications of the concepts the students learned during the year.

There's no worksheet work, she said. "I've got kids like flying drones, (operating) robots. It's like totally fun."

One of the projects for high school students will be to design an escape room.

----"We are very excited to advertise and advocate for these programs for this summer," Kincaid-Cline said.

Among the partner activities scheduled for the summer are:

—Camp Royal Day Camp — May 30-June 3 and Aug. 1-5. Available for ages 7-17, located in Glen Jean. For more, including cost and drop-off and pick-up times, visit weareroyal.com or call 806-367-4504.

—Camp Royal Overnight Camp — June 5-11, June 12-18, June 19-25, June 26-July 2, July 10-16, July 17-23 and July 24-30. Available for ages 7-17, located in Glen Jean. For more, including cost and drop-off and pick-up times, visit weareroyal.com or call 806-367-4504.

—Adventure Days — June 9, 23 and 30. Available for everyone at four locations (Smithers, Meadow Bridge, Oak Hill and Mount Hope). Watch Adventure Fayette County on Facebook or call 304-860-5106.

—Water Tuesday — June 21 and 28, July 19 and 26. Available for everyone at four locations (Kanawha Falls, Fayette County Park, Babcock State Park and Hawks Nest State Park). Watch Adventure Fayette County on Facebook or call 304-860-5106.

—Active Southern West Virginia — Available for all ages, located throughout Fayette County. Watch social media and website for the most up to date events and activities at activeswv.org or Facebook: Active Southern West Virginia.

—Coda Explore Kidz — June 6-10. Available for grades K-5. Legos and science. Theme is Birds and Flight. Located in Fayetteville. $100, with limited scholarships available. From 12:15 to 4:15 p.m. Call 304-900-0096.

—Coda Explore Science — June 13-17. Available for grades 6-11. Theme is Innovation. Located in Fayetteville. $100, with limited scholarships available. From 12:15 to 4:30 p.m. Call 304-900-0096.

—Camp Hope — June 14-16. Available for ages 7-14 who are coping with the death of a significant person. Located at Glade Springs Resort. Applications are due on May 27. Free to all participants. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Call 304-255-6404.

—Warm Hands from Warm Hearts — June 20-24. Available for ages 5-12. Located in Oak Hill. Call 304-222-0629.

—Coda Fine Arts Kidz — July 5-9. Available for ages 4-10. Music, art and drama. Theme is Songs in the Hills. Located in Fayetteville. $150, scholarships are available. From 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (4-year-olds must be accompanied by an adult). Call 304-900-0096.

—Coda Fine Arts — July 12-16. Available for ages 10-18. Music, art and drama. Theme is Songs in the Hills. Located in Fayetteville. $175, scholarships are available. From 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 304-900-0096.

—Oak Hill Naz Hikers — June 11, 18 and 25, July 16, 23 and 30 and Aug. 6, 13, 20 and 27. Available for everyone. Fresh spiritual environment and healthy exercise habits. Meet at Oak Hill Church of the Nazarene at 9:30 a.m. Call Robin Chapman at 304-575-5369.

—Fayette County Schools Summer Academy — June 6-17 and July 18-29. For grades 3 through rising 12th graders. This is an enrichment camp in the mornings from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Call 304-574-1176.

—Fayette County Schools Save the Children — June 6 to July 18. This is for grades K-2. Call 304-574-1176.

—Fayette County Schools Extended School Year — July 5-21. Special education students attend from Monday to Thursday. Call 304-574-1176.

—4-H Overnight Camp — July 11-15. Available for 9- to 21-year-olds, located at the Fayette County Park. Register online at zsuites.com. $75 for free and reduced lunch, $100 for regular campers. Call 304-574-4253.

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