ISSH Summer School 2016 draws a young crowd

110 kindergarten and junior school students attend

When ISSH opened its annual Summer School on June 13, the school campus welcomed many young kids. Just one summer ago, the ISSH summer school had a total enrolment of 90 kindergarteners and junior schoolers, but this summer, 110 kindergarten and junior school students registered, a 22 percent increase.

A daily Music class was added to the kindergarteners’ summer course this year.
Photo: Summer School Staff
A daily Music class was added to the kindergarteners’ summer course this year.

From kindergarten to high school, a total of 149 students enrolled in this year’s summer school; 110 were kindergarteners and junior schoolers. “I see a trend,” said Mr. Nicholson, the Summer School Co-ordinator, “which is that the younger grades are fuller than they were last year.”

Let’s get wet! A number of pools, all placed on the playground, were provided for the kindergarteners and junior schoolers to splash and play with each other.
Photo: Summer School Staff
Let’s get wet! A number of pools, all placed on the playground, were provided for the kindergarteners and junior schoolers to splash and play with each other.

Advertising this year’s summer school to kindergarteners and junior schoolers was a success. According to the two Summer School Co-ordinators, Mr. Nicholson and Ms. Spentzos, many families from nearby daycare centers chose to enrol their children in ISSH’s summer school because they had heard from other families that the program allows kids to have fun and enjoy many different activities. Additionally, this year’s summer school had a bigger online presence than last year, which successfully increased the registration of the younger students.

“On the application, we asked how they had heard about the school, and not one person mentioned any of the print advertisements that we had done,” said Ms. Spentzos. “Instead, about 15 to 20 applicants told us that the families had seen [our summer school] online.”

Kindergarteners and junior schoolers activities were based on two summer school themes. The first week's theme was Magic and Mystery; the second week's theme was Under the Sea.
Photo: Summer School Staff
Kindergarteners and junior schoolers activities were based on two summer school themes. The first week’s theme was Magic and Mystery; the second week’s theme was Under the Sea.

Many kindergarten and junior school students from other schools and countries joined ISSH for this summer. Approximately 40 percent of the students attending summer school were non-Sacred Heart students, and in that percentage, 43 kindergarteners were from other schools or countries. For junior schoolers, 13 were not from ISSH.

“It’s a positive sign,” Mr. Nicholson said. “I think it’s like a building phase; we’re building our reputation, we’re building our numbers. Younger students will tend to come back, and over the course of the next three to five years, the overall numbers will grow.”

That looks delicious! Junior schoolers taste the recipes they made in Global Kitchen.
That looks delicious! Junior schoolers taste the recipes they made in Global Kitchen.

Ms. Eden Daz, who has taught kindergarten in ISSH for three years, said that summer school is a great place for kindergarteners to socialize. “We allow them to engage in many social activities.” 

Some activities that were popular within the kindergarteners and junior schoolers included playing with figures of sea creatures and splashing each other in the pools.

“I think summer school is really fun,” said Kiana from grade four. “I might come back next year.”